India produces more rice than ever before – but pays for it with its water

India, which this year became the largest producer of rice in the world, has almost doubled its exports, with shipments exceeding 20 million metric tons in the last fiscal year. However, producers are not optimistic. An overview of groundwater data reveals concern that the thirsty rice crops are unsustainably draining India's already low aquifers, forcing farmers to take out large loans to drill ever-deeper wells, writes Reuters. In the states of Haryana and Punjab, groundwater was accessible at about 9 meters a decade ago, but now wells must reach between 25 and 60 meters to find water. However, this is proving quite costly for farmers. At the same time, government subsidies that encourage rice cultivation discourage agricultural producers from switching to less water-intensive crops. The subsidies include a state-guaranteed minimum price for rice, which has increased by about 70% over the past decade, as well as large electricity subsidies that promote water extraction for ...