India has become the world's largest rice producer, surpassing China with an output of 150.18 million tonnes compared to China's 145.28 million tonnes, announced Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The achievement was marked by the release of 184 new high-yielding crop varieties. While celebrating this milestone and India's transition to a global food provider, experts also highlight the need for emerging states to learn from Punjab's agricultural experience, including its ecological costs like depleting water tables.