Paddy is grown under irrigated and rainfed condition in an area of 13.8 lakh hectare in North Karnataka. Its productivity is 24.2q/ha with a production of 33.30lakh tonne. Paddy is grown under channel, tank and lift irrigation over an area of 38,000ha in North-East Transition and dry zones (Region 1, Zone 1 & 2). In this region, major Rice growing talukas are Manvi, Raichur, Bidar, Bhalki, Aurad, Aland, Chincholi, Yadgiri, Sedam and Chittapur. Paddy is grown in North-East and Northern dry zones (Region 2, Zone3) as irrigated crop over an area of 61,000ha covering district such as Raichur, Bellary, Belagum and Bijapur.

During kharif season drill sown Paddy is grown under rainfed condition in the regions receiving heavy south-west monsoon in central parts of Northern Transition region 4 (Zone 8). The annual production of drill sown paddy is 2.1lakh tonne from an area of 1.3lakh ha in Shiggaon, Dharwad, Hirekerur, Belagum, Bailhongal talukas.

Paddy is grown as major crop in heavy rainfall (malnad) region (Region 5, Zone 9) over an area of 1.37lakh ha under rainfed condition during kharif season. It is also as an important food crop in coastal region (Region 6, Zone10), grown as rainfed crop in 2.1lakh ha area. Depending upon irrigation availability paddy is also grown under rabi and summer condition.