By Editor Barley is a coarse cereal crop that is used for animal feed, food, and industrial purposes like making malt. This crop is much smaller than staples like wheat or rice. However, barley plays a crucial role in India’s diverse cropping system during the Rabi season in northern and some western states of India.
Many reports from the All India Co-ordinated Research project on wheat and barley for 2023-24 suggest that India produced around 1.02 million tonnes of barley during the Rabi season, with only 0.28 million hectares of land under cultivation. Barley is produced in a few regions of the country, but it is crucial for crop rotation and to keep the farmers earning during the winter season.
1. Rajasthan – 1.02 Million Tonnes (62% Share)
Rajasthan is decisively the top producer of barley in India as of 2023-24, with 1.02 million tonnes of production. This production number came from 0.28 million hectares of land under cultivation. With this much crop, Rajasthan alone contributes about 62% of the total national output. The average yield of Rajasthan is stronger than that of any other state. The key districts that contributed the most to barley production are Nagaur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, and nearby arid zones. Even some semi-arid zones also contributed to the total production of Rajasthan.
2. Uttar Pradesh – 0.44 Million Tonnes (26%)
Uttar Pradesh has a solid contribution to the total Barley production after Rajasthan. The barley production in UP was around 0.44 million tonnes, which contributed around 26% to the total national barley output. The data for total land under cultivation for barley is not available, which makes it hard to find the yield rate, but many studies suggest a lower yield rate than that of Rajasthan. The key regions that contributed the most from Uttar Pradesh are Badaun, Bareilly, Sambhal, and Moradabad. Some western UP districts also crop barley during the winter season.
3. Punjab – 23.4 Thousand Tonnes
The share of Punjab in barley production is negligible compared to Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. However, the total production came around 23.4 thousand tonnes with 6.2 thousand hectares of land under barley cultivation. Among the top barley producers, Punjab had the highest yield rate of around 3.78 tonnes per hectare. The numbers for the production of barley in Punjab are not available, and these numbers come from various sources. The regions with the highest barley production are Ludhiana, Patiala, Sangrur, and nearby regions. The core reason behind this production is the winter climate with cooler regions and favourable soil.
4. Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh is the fourth-largest barley-producing state in India after Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab. The key regions with the highest barley production are from the northern belt, which borders Uttar Pradesh. These regions have favourable soil and climate during the Rabi season for excellent growth. Uses in MP align with animal feed demand, particularly in dairy and poultry sectors, and barley is sometimes used in local food preparations in smaller quantities. Critical challenges for 2025 include water availability.
5. Haryana
Haryana holds the fifth position when it comes to barley production as per the most recent data. Even though the production numbers are smaller than those of Rajasthan or UP, it has an excellent yield rate. Some reports suggest that Haryana has a yield rate of 3,800 kg/ha, which seems like a productive number. The popular region with dominance in barley production from Haryana is Hisar, Sirsa, Kaithal, and nearby places. In Haryana, barley is largely used as livestock/poultry feed, and sometimes for industrial uses depending on malt demand. Barley is produced in regions where winters are semi-dry and barley can be cultivated effectively.
Bottom Line
These five states contribute to the barley production of India, where Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh alone produce almost 90% of the national output. Rajasthan obviously leads in significant production because of its favourable climate for growing barley.
On the other hand, Punjab leads with the yield rate. If the government steps in and promotes farmers through incentives and schemes, there are chances that farmers will use more land for barley cultivation, which will increase the national barley output. An important point is that the data for Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh are close to actual numbers, whereas the data for other states came from various sources.