Top Crop Producing States in India: Quick Answer
Uttar Pradesh grows the most food in India — it leads rice, wheat, sugarcane and total foodgrains in 2024-25 — but the crown changes crop by crop: Madhya Pradesh leads pulses and maize, Maharashtra leads cotton, soyabean, tur and gram, Rajasthan leads oilseeds and coarse cereals, West Bengal leads jute, Assam leads tea and Karnataka leads coffee. As of 7 November 2026, all field-crop figures below are the Final Estimates for 2024-25 (Economic Survey 2025-26, Table 1.18).
🔥 Key Exam Takeaway: The 2024-25 Final Estimates redrew several long-standing answers. Rice is now Uttar Pradesh (20.76 mt), not West Bengal. Soyabean and gram are now Maharashtra, not Madhya Pradesh. Cotton is now Maharashtra (7.37 mn bales), not Gujarat — by just 0.21 mn bales. Maize is Madhya Pradesh, not Karnataka. Any page that does not give the year is probably using the old answers.
India produced 357.7 million tonnes of foodgrains in 2024-25 and about 370.74 million tonnes of horticulture produce. India is the world's largest producer of pulses, jute, banana, mango and papaya, and the second largest of rice, wheat, tea, sugarcane and cotton.
How to Read This Note (and Why the Year Matters)
Three rules will save you marks. First, always attach the year to the answer. Rice, soyabean, gram, cotton, maize and banana leaders all changed in 2024-25, so "largest rice producer" without a year is now ambiguous — the 2024-25 answer is Uttar Pradesh, while most books printed before 2026 still say West Bengal. Second, production is not area. A state can have the largest area under a crop and still rank second or third in production — Kerala has the largest area under coconut but ranks third in production, and West Bengal still leads in rice area in most years even though Uttar Pradesh leads in rice production. Third, mind the units. Foodgrain and oilseed figures are in million tonnes (mt); cotton is counted in million bales of 170 kg each; jute in million bales of 180 kg each — never compare a cotton bale count with a jute bale count. Tea is counted in million kg and coffee in lakh tonnes.
The main table below is built on the Economic Survey 2025-26, Statistical Appendix, Table 1.18 — "Production of Important Crops in three Largest Producing States in 2024-25", from the ES&E Division of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Every figure in that table was re-checked against the Survey PDF itself on 7 November 2026. Figures from other sources — tea (Tea Board), coffee (Coffee Board), banana/mango shares (Dept. of Agriculture horticulture data) — name their source in the row. Where a tonnage could not be verified, the note says so plainly instead of guessing: a held figure is marked "figure held" in the table.
Latest Changes in Crop Rankings 2025–26 (with Dates)
These flips overturn answers that were stable for years — and are the most likely to be asked this year.
| Change | What happened | Date / data year |
|---|---|---|
| Rice flip | Uttar Pradesh (20.76 mt, 13.82%) overtook West Bengal as India's largest rice producer. Telangana is 2nd (17.45 mt), West Bengal 3rd (16.02 mt). | 2024-25 Final Estimates, Economic Survey 2025-26 |
| Soyabean flip | Maharashtra (7.37 mt, 48.27%) overtook Madhya Pradesh (5.38 mt). MP was "the Soybean State" for decades. | 2024-25 Final Estimates, Economic Survey 2025-26 |
| Gram flip | Maharashtra (2.96 mt, 26.67%) overtook Madhya Pradesh as the largest gram (chickpea) producer. | 2024-25 Final Estimates, Economic Survey 2025-26 |
| Cotton flip | Maharashtra (7.37 mn bales, 24.80%) edged past Gujarat (7.16 mn bales, 24.08%) — a gap of just 0.72 percentage points, the closest race in the table. | 2024-25 Final Estimates, Economic Survey 2025-26 |
| Maize | Madhya Pradesh (6.64 mt) leads, ahead of Karnataka (6.19 mt) and Bihar (5.47 mt). Older sources saying Karnataka leads are stale. | 2024-25 Final Estimates, Economic Survey 2025-26 |
| Banana flip | Maharashtra (7.28 mt, 19.0%) overtook Andhra Pradesh (6.73 mt, 17.6%) as the largest banana producer. | 2024-25, Dept. of Agriculture data |
| Coconut — contested | Coconut Development Board 2023-24 puts Karnataka #1 (6,151 mn nuts); a separate 2024-25 horticulture dataset puts Tamil Nadu #1 (6,251.94 mn nuts). The leader changes with the reference year — see the table note. | 2023-24 (CDB) / 2024-25 (dataset) |
| Tea — record year | India produced a record 1,369.98 mn kg in calendar 2025 (Tea Board-based data); exports hit a record 257.88 mn kg in FY 2024-25 (₹7,503.52 crore). FY 2024-25 production was 1,315.77 mn kg. | Calendar 2025 / FY 2024-25, Tea Board |
| Coffee — record ahead | 2024-25 final estimate 3.63 lakh tonnes; the Coffee Board's post-blossom estimate for 2025-26 is a record 4.03 lakh tonnes; exports worth 1.81 billion US dollars in FY 2024-25. | 2024-25 / 2025-26 estimate, Coffee Board |
Top Crop Producing States in India — Complete Table (2024-25)
Top state, 2nd and 3rd states, with the top state's production and share. Field crops are Final Estimates 2024-25 from Economic Survey 2025-26, Table 1.18, re-verified against the Survey PDF on 7 November 2026. "Figure held" means the top state is convergent across sources but no verified tonnage was available — the state name is the exam answer, the number is not stated rather than guessed.
| # | Crop | Top state | 2nd state | Top-state production (year) | 3rd state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rice | Uttar Pradesh | Telangana (17.45 mt) | 20.76 mt, 13.82% (2024-25) | West Bengal (16.02 mt) |
| 2 | Wheat | Uttar Pradesh | Madhya Pradesh (24.51 mt) | 35.65 mt, 30.23% (2024-25) | Punjab (17.99 mt) |
| 3 | Maize | Madhya Pradesh | Karnataka (6.19 mt) | 6.64 mt, 15.30% (2024-25) | Bihar (5.47 mt) |
| 4 | Nutri / coarse cereals (Shree Anna) | Rajasthan | Karnataka (8.59 mt) | 9.45 mt, 14.78% (2024-25) | Madhya Pradesh (7.78 mt) |
| 5 | Bajra (pearl millet) | Rajasthan | Uttar Pradesh | figure held | Haryana |
| 6 | Jowar (sorghum) | Maharashtra | Karnataka | figure held | — |
| 7 | Tur (pigeon pea) | Maharashtra | Karnataka (1.00 mt) | 1.42 mt, 39.44% (2024-25) | Jharkhand (0.25 mt) |
| 8 | Gram (chickpea) | Maharashtra | Madhya Pradesh (2.11 mt) | 2.96 mt, 26.67% (2024-25) | Rajasthan (2.01 mt) |
| 9 | Total pulses | Madhya Pradesh | Maharashtra (5.04 mt) | 5.24 mt, 20.40% (2024-25) | Rajasthan (3.93 mt) |
| 10 | Groundnut | Gujarat | Rajasthan (2.14 mt) | 5.22 mt, 43.72% (2024-25) | Madhya Pradesh (1.55 mt) |
| 11 | Soyabean | Maharashtra | Madhya Pradesh (5.38 mt) | 7.37 mt, 48.27% (2024-25) | Rajasthan (1.18 mt) |
| 12 | Rapeseed & mustard | Rajasthan | Uttar Pradesh (2.41 mt) | 5.42 mt, 42.79% (2024-25) | Haryana (1.43 mt) |
| 13 | Sunflower | Karnataka | Haryana (0.05 mt) | 0.11 mt, 44.58% (2024-25) | Odisha (0.03 mt) |
| 14 | Total oilseeds | Rajasthan | Madhya Pradesh (8.25 mt) | 9.20 mt, 21.41% (2024-25) | Maharashtra (7.79 mt) |
| 15 | Sugarcane | Uttar Pradesh | Maharashtra (109.97 mt) | 220.80 mt, 48.57% (2024-25) | Karnataka (48.06 mt) |
| 16 | Cotton | Maharashtra | Gujarat (7.16 mn bales) | 7.37 mn bales of 170 kg, 24.80% (2024-25) | Telangana (5.79 mn bales) |
| 17 | Jute & mesta | West Bengal | Bihar (0.85 mn bales) | 7.03 mn bales of 180 kg, 79.85% (2024-25) | Assam (0.73 mn bales) |
| 18 | Tea | Assam | West Bengal (411.18 mn kg) | 687.76 mn kg, 50.20% (calendar 2025, Tea Board)* | Tamil Nadu (171.44 mn kg) |
| 19 | Coffee | Karnataka | Kerala (72,950 t) | 2.56 lakh t, ~70% (2024-25, Coffee Board) | Tamil Nadu (figure held) |
| 20 | Potato | Uttar Pradesh | West Bengal | figure held | Bihar |
| 21 | Onion | Maharashtra | Karnataka | figure held | Madhya Pradesh |
| 22 | Tomato | Madhya Pradesh† | Andhra Pradesh | figure held — #1 contested† | — |
| 23 | Mango | Uttar Pradesh | Andhra Pradesh (21.5%) | 26.6% share (2024-25)‡ | Karnataka |
| 24 | Banana | Maharashtra | Andhra Pradesh (6.73 mt) | 7.28 mt, 19.0% (2024-25)‡ | Tamil Nadu (4.79 mt) |
| 25 | Coconut | Karnataka§ | Tamil Nadu (6,091.98 mn nuts) | 6,151 mn nuts, 28.78% (2023-24, Coconut Development Board)§ | Kerala (5,522.71 mn nuts) |
| 26 | Rubber | Kerala | Tripura | figure held | — |
| 27 | Tobacco | Andhra Pradesh | — | figure held | — |
| 28 | Total foodgrains | Uttar Pradesh | Madhya Pradesh (46.63 mt) | 63.85 mt, 17.85% (2024-25) | Punjab (32.78 mt) |
* Tea totals: two Tea Board-based sets circulate for calendar 2025 — Set A: India 1,369.98 mn kg, Assam 687.76 (50.20%), West Bengal 411.18 (30.01%), Tamil Nadu 171.44, Kerala 58.21; Set B: India 1,395.53 mn kg, Assam 699.58, West Bengal 421.63, Tamil Nadu 171.63, Kerala 58.16. The table uses Set A (more sources, internally consistent shares) and flags Set B here. The ranking is identical in both sets, so the exam answer — Assam #1 at about 50%, West Bengal #2 at about 30% — is safe either way. The FY figure is uncontested: India produced 1,315.77 mn kg in FY 2024-25 (Tea Board Annual Report).
† Tomato #1 is contested: Madhya Pradesh leads in some compilations and Andhra Pradesh in others, and no verified 2024-25 tonnage was retrieved for either state. The table lists Madhya Pradesh with the conflict flagged; do not quote a tomato tonnage from this note.
‡ Mango and banana shares are from Department of Agriculture 2024-25 horticulture data as relayed by a single data chain — treat the shares as reported, not as directly read from an official table.
§ Coconut #1 depends on the year: Karnataka leads on the Coconut Development Board's 2023-24 figures (6,151 mn nuts), while a separate 2024-25 horticulture dataset puts Tamil Nadu #1 (6,251.94 mn nuts). Do not declare a single timeless #1. The trap to remember: Kerala has the LARGEST AREA under coconut (about 7.54–7.65 lakh ha) but ranks 3rd in production — area is not production.
Horticulture and Spices — Top States at a Glance
Top state only. Figures are held (unverified tonnages) unless a share is stated; the state names are convergent across sources.
| Crop | Top state | 2nd state / note |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh |
| Grapes | Maharashtra (Nashik hub) | Karnataka |
| Orange & kinnow | Madhya Pradesh (34.0% share, 2024-25) | — |
| Guava | Uttar Pradesh (29.5%, 2024-25) | Madhya Pradesh (19.4%) |
| Papaya | Andhra Pradesh (21.9%, 2024-25) | Gujarat (17.5%) |
| Garlic | Madhya Pradesh | — |
| Ginger | Assam | — |
| Chilli (dry) | Andhra Pradesh (Guntur hub) | — |
| Black pepper & small cardamom | Kerala | — |
| Saffron | Jammu & Kashmir (only commercial producer; Pampore) | — |
| Arecanut | Karnataka | — |
| Cashew | Contested — Maharashtra (recent data) vs Kerala (older sources); unverified, not in the main table | — |
Crop Producing States: Records and Unique Facts
| Record | Answer |
|---|---|
| Only state leading four headline rows | Uttar Pradesh — rice, wheat, sugarcane and total foodgrains (plus mango and potato) |
| Most concentrated single-crop dominance | West Bengal's jute, 79.85% — about 4 out of every 5 bales |
| Second-most concentrated | Assam's tea, about 50% of national production |
| State leading the most rows | Maharashtra (7) — tur, gram, soyabean, cotton, jowar, onion, banana |
| Dryland trio | Rajasthan — total oilseeds + nutri-cereals + mustard, plus India's largest bajra producer |
| Largest tea-growing region in the world | Assam (Tea Board); Assam Valley alone produced 661.27 mn kg in 2025 on one dataset |
| Coffee heartland | Karnataka, about 70% of national output; Kodagu (Coorg) district alone contributes about 33% of India's coffee |
| Sugarcane share | Uttar Pradesh, about 48.6% — nearly half of India's sugarcane |
| Wheat share | Uttar Pradesh, about 30% of national wheat |
One-line facts that are asked in exams
- Uttar Pradesh is called the "Sugar Bowl of India" — an informal title, because it grows about 49% of India's sugarcane.
- West Bengal's jute (79.85%) is the most concentrated single-crop dominance in the table.
- Maharashtra took Madhya Pradesh's pulses in 2024-25 — tur and gram both flipped to Maharashtra, while MP kept total pulses and maize.
- Gujarat's groundnut (43.72%) is nearly half of India's output — do not let the cotton flip contaminate groundnut, where Gujarat still leads by a wide margin.
- Rajasthan's mustard (42.79%) makes it the dryland oilseed capital; it also leads total oilseeds (9.20 mt).
- Karnataka's sunflower (44.58%) is the highest share in the oilseeds group, but on a tiny base — just 0.11 mt.
- Assam tea vs Karnataka coffee is the classic geography pair: tea is an eastern crop (Assam ~50%, West Bengal ~30%), coffee is a southern crop (Karnataka ~70%, Kerala ~20%, Tamil Nadu).
- Cotton needs black soil (Maharashtra, Gujarat) while rice, wheat and sugarcane need the alluvial Ganga plains (Uttar Pradesh) — soil and crop questions are often asked together.
Common Mistakes in Crop Questions (Exam Traps)
- "West Bengal = largest rice producer" — true in most old books, FALSE for 2024-25 production (Uttar Pradesh leads, 20.76 mt). Always check the year.
- "Madhya Pradesh = soyabean state" — true for decades, FALSE in 2024-25 (Maharashtra leads, 48.27%).
- "Gujarat = largest cotton producer" — false in 2024-25 (Maharashtra, by 0.21 mn bales). Gujarat still leads GROUNDNUT by a wide margin (43.72%) — don't let the cotton flip contaminate groundnut.
- "Kerala = largest coconut producer" — Kerala has the largest AREA, but Karnataka (2023-24) / Tamil Nadu (2024-25) lead PRODUCTION. Area is not production.
- "Karnataka = largest maize producer" — false in 2024-25 (Madhya Pradesh leads); Karnataka is 2nd.
- "Andhra Pradesh = largest banana producer" — false in 2024-25 (Maharashtra leads). Andhra Pradesh still leads tobacco and is 2nd in mango.
- "Assam = tea, West Bengal = jute" — both still true, but West Bengal is NOT the rice leader any more, and Darjeeling tea (West Bengal) is famous but small beside Assam's ~50% share.
- "Punjab = wheat leader" — Punjab is 3rd in wheat (17.99 mt) and 3rd in total foodgrains; Uttar Pradesh leads both by a wide margin. Punjab's fame is productivity per hectare, not total output.
- "Kerala = largest spice producer" — Kerala leads only pepper and cardamom; total-spices leadership is contested, and Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh lead several individual spices (cumin, coriander, garlic, chilli).
- Cotton units: production is counted in bales of 170 kg; jute in bales of 180 kg — don't compare bale counts across the two crops.
- Coffee vs tea geography: coffee is a SOUTHERN crop (Karnataka ~70%, Kerala ~20%, Tamil Nadu) while tea is EASTERN/NORTHERN (Assam ~50%, West Bengal ~30%). Mixing the two regions is the classic match-the-following error.
How to Remember Top Crop Producing States (Study Method)
- Learn "UP WRS" first: UP = Wheat, Rice, Sugarcane (plus Mango, Potato). UP tops the food bowl.
- Learn "Maha-COTSOY": Maharashtra = Cotton + Soyabean (+ Tur, Gram). Maharashtra takes the cash crops that need black soil.
- Learn "MP-MaPu": MP = Maize + Pulses (total). MP = Maize and Pulses.
- Learn "Rajasthan RM": Rajasthan = Rapeseed-Mustard + total Oilseeds + Nutri-cereals — dryland crops for a dry state.
- Learn "Gujarat G": Gujarat = Groundnut (43.72% — nearly half of India).
- Learn "WB Jute 80": West Bengal = Jute ~80% — "Jute is Bengal, 4 out of 5 bales."
- Learn the pair "Assam Tea 50 / Karnataka Coffee 70": "Tea is half Assam; Coffee is 70% Karnataka." Pair: "Assam-Tea, Karnataka-Coffee — A-T, K-C."
- Learn "Maha-Banana, UP-Mango": banana flipped to Maharashtra and mango stayed with UP in 2024-25.
- Learn the coconut trap and the flips as one set: "Kerala AREA, Karnataka/TN OUTPUT" — area vs production — and rice UP, soyabean Maharashtra, gram Maharashtra, cotton Maharashtra, maize MP, banana Maharashtra, all 2024-25. If a question gives no year, the 2024-25 answer is the current one.
Top Crop Producing States in India MCQs with Answers
Q1. Which state is the largest producer of rice in India as per the Economic Survey 2025-26 (2024-25)? (a) West Bengal (b) Uttar Pradesh (c) Telangana (d) Punjab Answer: (b) Uttar Pradesh (20.76 mt); Telangana is 2nd (17.45 mt) and West Bengal 3rd (16.02 mt).
Q2. Which state produces the most wheat in India? (a) Punjab (b) Madhya Pradesh (c) Uttar Pradesh (d) Haryana Answer: (c) Uttar Pradesh (35.65 mt, 30.23% of national output, 2024-25).
Q3. Which state is the largest producer of sugarcane in India? (a) Maharashtra (b) Karnataka (c) Uttar Pradesh (d) Tamil Nadu Answer: (c) Uttar Pradesh (220.80 mt, 48.57%, 2024-25); Maharashtra is 2nd (109.97 mt).
Q4. Which state leads India in total pulses production? (a) Maharashtra (b) Rajasthan (c) Madhya Pradesh (d) Uttar Pradesh Answer: (c) Madhya Pradesh (5.24 mt, 20.40%, 2024-25); Maharashtra is 2nd (5.04 mt).
Q5. Which state is the largest producer of cotton in India in 2024-25? (a) Gujarat (b) Telangana (c) Maharashtra (d) Punjab Answer: (c) Maharashtra (7.37 million bales of 170 kg); Gujarat is 2nd (7.16 mn bales).
Q6. Which state produces the most soyabean in India? (a) Madhya Pradesh (b) Maharashtra (c) Rajasthan (d) Karnataka Answer: (b) Maharashtra (7.37 mt, 48.27%, 2024-25) — it overtook Madhya Pradesh (5.38 mt).
Q7. Which state is the largest producer of tea in India, and what is its approximate share? (a) West Bengal, ~30% (b) Assam, ~50% (c) Tamil Nadu, ~20% (d) Kerala, ~10% Answer: (b) Assam, about 50% of national production (687.76 mn kg in calendar 2025); West Bengal is 2nd (~30%).
Q8. Which state produces about 70% of India's coffee? (a) Kerala (b) Tamil Nadu (c) Karnataka (d) Andhra Pradesh Answer: (c) Karnataka (2.56 lakh tonnes in 2024-25); Kerala is 2nd (~20%).
Q9. Which state is the largest producer of jute in India? (a) Bihar (b) Assam (c) West Bengal (d) Odisha Answer: (c) West Bengal (7.03 mn bales, 79.85% of national output, 2024-25).
Q10. Which state leads in groundnut and in rapeseed-mustard production? (a) Gujarat and Rajasthan (b) Rajasthan and Gujarat (c) Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh (d) Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan Answer: (a) Groundnut — Gujarat (5.22 mt, 43.72%); rapeseed & mustard — Rajasthan (5.42 mt, 42.79% share), both 2024-25.
Top Crop Producing States in India FAQs
Which state is the largest producer of rice in India — West Bengal or Uttar Pradesh?
Uttar Pradesh, in 2024-25: 20.76 mt (13.82%), ahead of Telangana (17.45 mt) and West Bengal (16.02 mt), as per the Economic Survey 2025-26, Table 1.18 (Final Estimates). West Bengal was the long-standing leader in older books and still leads in rice area in most years — but on 2024-25 production tonnage, Uttar Pradesh is #1. Always state the year.
Which state produces the most foodgrains overall in India?
Uttar Pradesh — 63.85 mt (17.85%) in 2024-25, ahead of Madhya Pradesh (46.63 mt) and Punjab (32.78 mt). India produced 357.7 mt of foodgrains in 2024-25.
Which state is called the "Sugar Bowl of India" and why?
Uttar Pradesh — an informal title, because it grows about 49% of India's sugarcane (220.80 mt of the national total in 2024-25). Maharashtra is a distant second at 109.97 mt.
Which state is the largest producer of pulses, and which state leads in tur and gram separately?
Madhya Pradesh leads total pulses (5.24 mt, 20.40%), but Maharashtra leads tur (1.42 mt, 39.44%) and gram (2.96 mt, 26.67%) separately in 2024-25. Maharashtra took both tur and gram from Madhya Pradesh in the 2024-25 Final Estimates.
Why did Maharashtra overtake Madhya Pradesh in soyabean production?
The 2024-25 Final Estimates show Maharashtra at 7.37 mt (48.27%) against Madhya Pradesh at 5.38 mt (35.27%) — a clear gap of about 2 mt. No verified causal explanation (weather, acreage or yield) was available for this note, so none is claimed.
Which state produces the most tea and coffee in India?
Tea — Assam, about 50% of national production (687.76 mn kg in calendar 2025), with West Bengal second at about 30%. Coffee — Karnataka, about 70% (2.56 lakh tonnes in 2024-25), with Kerala second at about 20%. Tea is an eastern crop, coffee a southern one.
Which state is the largest producer of cotton — Gujarat or Maharashtra — and how close is the race?
Maharashtra, in 2024-25: 7.37 mn bales against Gujarat's 7.16 mn bales — a gap of just 0.21 mn bales, or 0.72 percentage points (24.80% vs 24.08%). It is the closest race in the table and could flip back, so always attach the year 2024-25 to the answer.
Related topics: revise Types of Soil in India, Indian Climate Notes, Indian Rivers Origin and End List, GI Tags in India 2026, Festivals of India State-wise, States and Capitals of India 2026 and Static GK for SSC CGL next.
Practice Next
- Test yourself: SSC CGL General Awareness Sectional Mock Test 01
- More GA practice: SSC CGL General Awareness Mock Test 1
- Quick drill: SSC CGL General Awareness Mini Mock Test 01
- Geography practice: RRB NTPC Geography Mock Test 01
- More free notes: All Study Notes
Sources: Economic Survey 2025-26, Statistical Appendix, Table 1.18 (Production of Important Crops in three Largest Producing States in 2024-25), ES&E Division, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare — PDF read directly and figures re-verified on 7 November 2026; Tea Board of India (Annual Report 2024-25; calendar 2025 production data); Coffee Board of India (2024-25 final estimate, 2025-26 post-blossom estimate); Coconut Development Board 2023-24; Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare horticulture data (2024-25) for banana, mango, guava, papaya and orange shares. As of 7 November 2026.