India’s potato sector has achieved a significant milestone, with potato output reaching an unprecedented 601.75 lakh tonnes (equivalent to 60.18 million tonnes) in the 2024-25 crop year. This figure represents a record high for potato production in the country. The latest data of second advanced estimates released on 25th June 2025 indicates a substantial increase of 31.21 lakh tonnes from the preceding year. For comparison, in the 2023-24 crop year, potato production stood at 57.05 million tonnes.
This robust growth in potato cultivation has been a key contributor to India’s overall horticulture crop production, which also reached new highs. The total horticulture crop production is estimated to have increased by 3.66 per cent to 3,677.24 lakh tonnes in 2024-25, up from 3,547.44 lakh tonnes in 2023-24.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has attributed this record production to the dedication and hard work of horticultural farmers, the invaluable contributions of scientists, and the farmer-friendly policies implemented by the Central government. He also highlighted that this increase was partly due to higher productivity in horticulture crops generally.
The surge in potato output played a crucial role in the broader success of India’s vegetable production, which saw an impressive increase of 6.02 per cent (or 12.47 million tonnes) to 219.67 million tonnes in 2024-25. Potatoes, alongside onions, green chillies, tapioca, and bottle gourd, were specifically noted for their “robust improvement” in contributing to this growth. The bumper output of these vegetables, including potatoes, was instrumental in ensuring that vegetable and fruit prices remained mostly stable throughout the year.
Regarding the area under cultivation, the overall area under horticulture crops increased to 292.67 lakh hectares in 2024-25 from 290.86 lakh hectares in the preceding year, marking an increase of 1.81 lakh hectares.
Other significant movements in crop production include onion output rising to 30.77 million tonnes from 24.27 million tonnes. Conversely, tomato production experienced a decline, falling to 20.75 lakh tonnes from 21.32 lakh tonnes. Fruit production generally rose by 1.36 per cent to 1,145.10 lakh tonnes, primarily due to increased output of crops like watermelon, mango, and banana. Banana production, for instance, reached a new high of 38.04 million tonnes.
The comprehensive data on horticulture crops, including potatoes, is compiled by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, based on information from various states, union territories, and other government agencies. These figures represent the second advance estimates for horticulture crops for the 2024-25 crop year.