RAS question
The largest producer of rice in the world is:
Correct answer: (D) China.
China is the world's largest producer of rice.
Explanation
China is the answer because the cited World Bank Group document states directly that China is the largest rice producer globally and identifies rice as China's most important food crop. The ranking is about total production, not the area under cultivation. India ranks after China, followed by Indonesia and Bangladesh, while India has the largest area under rice cultivation but a lower yield per hectare than China and Japan. That distinction is the trap: a country can cultivate more land under rice and still produce less overall if yield is lower.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) India is not the largest producer; it ranks after China, despite having the largest area under rice cultivation.
- (B) Indonesia is lower in the production order, after China and India.
- (C) Bangladesh is also below China in the production order, coming after India and Indonesia.
Concept
This tests world agricultural production patterns, especially the distinction between crop area and crop output. It recurs in RAS Geography because rice is a staple crop and questions often use area-versus-yield confusion to test conceptual clarity.