India is land not just eminent for producing gold or other valuable metals, the land is favored for making various types of agriculture products. India is considered to be the world’s second-largest producer of vegetables, fruits, and pulses. Agriculture remains the base for the live hood of people in rural areas and India government are providing subsidized rate on important crops so that they remain affordable for people. Cultivation in India employs 60% of the labor force and the country ranks first across the globe with the highest netted cropped area following the US and China. The country is a leading grower of crops like wheat and rice and improved cultivation techniques have made states like Punjab the storehouse of the country. During FY19, India exported agriculture and processed food approximate US$38.49 billion and during this period the top exported food products were basmati rice, buffalo meat, and non-basmati rice. India export food to more than 100 countries primarily remains South East Asia, Middle East, SAARC Countries, the US, and the EU.
Here is provided the list of top 10 agriculture states of India:
Table of Contents
1. Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh stands first among top agriculture states in India being popular producing wheat in the state. The state is the land for cultivating various other pulses, bajra, rice, and barley. They are also the largest producer of sugar cane in the country. The state produces 22.5 million tons of wheat in an area of 26 lakh hectares of land. The crop is grown at the north and northwest part of the state and receives rain from southwest monsoon and northeast monsoon.
2. West Bengal
West Bengal is the largest producer of rice and tea in India. The state is the second-largest rice-producing country across the world after china. They have an extensive agricultural network and few other cash crops cultivated in the state include jute, tobacco, sesamum, and other food crops. A large area in West Bengal is covered by cultivating rice and brown rice, as it is the dominant crop of the country. The state receives heavy annual rainfall, so the crop flourishes in Indian weather conditions. The total rice production remains 146.05 lakh tones and yield 2600 kilograms per hectare.
3. Punjab
Punjab known as the land of five waters remains third in topmost agriculture production in India. The state remains upmost cultivating wheat, rice, sugarcane, and cotton. They cultivate wheat and rice abundantly. Sugarcane and cotton are produced during the Kharif season. The state is one of the best-irrigated places in India, which favors the growth of many agriculture crops. There is plenty of lands where extensive farming is done. They cultivate 2 million tons of wheat every year. Other important crops cultivated in the state remain sugarcane, potato, and groundnuts. Their main sources of irrigation are canal and tube wells.
4. Haryana
Haryana stands the fourth position in India for being agricultural land for sugarcane, wheat, paddy, and sunflower. The state lies close to Punjab and they have a great irrigation system due to which variety of food crops bloom like anything. The state is the biggest producer of sunflower in the country and some popularly known food crops grown there remain wheat and maize. Around 88% of the land is arable and 96% is cultivated. The state has Asia’s biggest Agriculture University, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agriculture University located at Hisar. Dairy farming is also a crucial part of the rural economy.
5. Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh lies at the central part of India and they are the largest cultivators of various pulses like tur, urad, and soybean. The state produces a massive quantity of pulses and they are popular cultivating wheat and maize. Fertile sand and loam soil make the land in a perfect condition to grow chickpea, especially in semi-arid areas. Madhya Pradesh cultivates a variety of crops and the majority of food crops are used for domestic purposes only. Various tropical fruits, vegetables, and spices are also widely grown in the state.
6. Chhattisgarh
The rice bowl of central India is Chhattisgarh and they stand in 6th position the largest agriculture producing states in India. They are the main cultivators of rice, maize, millet, oilseeds, and groundnut, etc. In the state, around 77% of the area covers the paddy field and they mainly depend on rain for water. The land is fertile and best for a growing variety of fruits and vegetables. The state has abundant small forest areas where you will find plenty of tendu leaves, sal seed, medicinal plants, honey, and bamboo.
7. Odisha
Odisha remains the major agriculture state of India and the agriculture sector alone contributes 30% of GDP. Around 60% of the population in the state completely depends on agriculture. They are the biggest producers of rice and the state grows one-tenth of total rice production of the country. The state has 87.46 lakh hectares of area under farming out of which 18.79 lakh hectares are irrigated. Climate and soil play a vital role in the agricultural sector. The state is big producers of crops like rice, tobacco, tea, coffee, jute, sugarcane, and rubber. The shortage of water and lack of irrigation facilities are the greatest obstacle to agriculture in Odisha. Few other main crops cultivated in the state include coconut, cotton, oilseed, pulses, mustard, maize, sesame, ragi, potato, and soybean.
8. Andhra Pradesh
Agriculture is the main employment of nearly 62% of the total population of Andhra Pradesh. Rice is the main cultivated crop and the staple food of Andhra. The state is blessed with a suitable climatic condition to produce a variety of crops and farmers practice multiple cropping patterns. Andhra Pradesh produces 12458 tons of rice, 8000 tons of wheat, 1581 tons of maize, 39 thousand tons of millets, 619 thousand tons of jowar and 149 thousand tons of bajra. Few other important cash crops include groundnut, pulses, sugarcane, cotton, oilseeds, and castor.
9. Telangana
Telangana is the major producer of rice. The state is considered as the state bowl of the country and around 62.88 lakh hectares of land is used for cultivating various crops. The economy of the state is supported by agriculture and they mainly depend on rain-fed water sources for irrigation. Few other local crops produced in the state are cotton, sugarcane, mango, and tobacco. Rice is the staple food of the state and recently sunflower and peanuts have gained favor.
10. Karnataka
Karnataka plays an important role in the agriculture sector of India. They are the largest coffee producers in India with a share that covers nearly 71%. The states soil and climate greatly support agriculture of a variety of other food crops like rice, maize, millet, pulses, groundnut, cotton, red chilly, soya bean, and turmeric. Some of the major crops cultivated in the state are barely, wheat, sesame, mustard, and peas. Karnataka also produces tea and sunflower in large quantity. They produce the finest coffee beans in shade and there are about 250,000 coffee growers in the country. Almost 80% of coffee is exported to Russia, Spain, the Netherlands, and France.