Banana production increased to 39.62 mt in 2025-26 from 38.32 mt a year-ago period
| Photo Credit:
Giri KVS
India’s horticulture production, which includes spices, plantation crops, honey, as well as fruits, vegetables, is estimated to be a tad higher at 370.85 million tonne (mt) during the 2025-26 crop year (July-June) from 370.74 mt. There was a marginal drop in the area but there was higher yield in many crops.
The area under all horticulture crops was reported at 30.13 million hectares (mh) in 2025-26 against 30.14 mh in 2024-25, the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement.
Releasing the first estimate of 2025-26 and final estimate of 2024-25, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that it reflects the government investment in technology, irrigation, value chain development, processing, storage, cold chains and markets, yielding ground-level results.
Bangana, apple output up
“Horticulture is now a solid foundation for raising farmers’ income, ensuring nutritional security and advancing agri-exports, with the goal that farmers everywhere gain better, sustainable earnings from fruits, vegetables, spices, flowers and medicinal crops,” Chouhan said in a statement.
Among the major fruits, banana production increased to 39.62 mt in 2025-26 from 38.32 mt, that of mango to 23.45 mt from 23.14 mt, apple to 2.79 mt from 2.66 mt, guava 5.52 mt from 5.48 mt and papaya 5.81 mt from 5.76 mt. The fruits which reported a fall in production include orange (also Kinnow) to 6.46 mt from 6.73 mt, grape to 3.4 mt from 3.65 mt, pineapple to 1.7 mt from 1.71 mt, pomegranate to 2.8 mt from 2.82 mt and water melon to 4.62 mt from 4.85 mt.
Though overall vegetables production is estimated to marginally drop, output of tomato, mushroom, tapioca , bhindi (okra), peas, pumpkin, sweet potato, green chillies and radish are likely to be on higher side.
Tomatoes up 10%
Among the essential commodities, production of tomato is likely to be up by 10 per cent but onion may drop 11 per cent while potato is seen to be almost at par with last year.
Among the spices group, the production of cardamom, ajwain, turmeric, fennel, garlic, coriander, clove and celery, dill & poppy is seen to be higher from 2024-25. But, the output of cumin, ginger, curry leaf, Rred chillies (dried), black pepper, Ttamarind, saffron and vanilla is likely to drop.
In the plantation group, coconut production is pegged at 14.92 mt against 13.97 mt in 2024-25 while that of areacanut at 1.53 mt from 1.49 mt and betel leaves at 684,000 tonne against 685,000 tonne. But the output of cashewnut and cocoa is likely to be stagnant at 802,000 tonne and 33,000 tonne, respectively.
Published on March 16, 2026
