From cereals to fisheries, India’s agri-economy shows significant expansion and diversification between 2011–12 and 2023–24, with a 225% rise in GVA at current prices and shifting regional contributions. Source: PIB/DD News
India’s agricultural and allied sectors have demonstrated impressive growth over the last decade, according to the latest report released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). The annual publication, “Statistical Report on Value of Output from Agriculture and Allied Sectors (2011–12 to 2023–24),” provides a comprehensive overview of the sector’s performance across crops, livestock, forestry, and fisheries. The report is now available on the ministry’s official website, mospi.gov.in.
The MoSPI report captures a picture of a resilient, evolving, and increasingly diversified agricultural sector, reflecting strategic growth in both traditional and emerging sub-sectors. From rising outputs to shifting state-level dynamics, the data underlines how agriculture remains central to India’s economic fabric—while adapting to the demands of modernization, commercialization, and regional innovation.
Steady and Strong Growth in Value Output
The Gross Value Added (GVA) of agriculture and allied sectors at current prices has risen 225%, from ₹1,502 thousand crore in 2011–12 to ₹4,878 thousand crore in 2023–24. In real terms, at constant 2011–12 prices, the Gross Value of Output (GVO) increased by 54.6%, from ₹1,908 thousand crore to ₹2,949 thousand crore during the same period.
Crop Sector: A Key Contributor
The crop sector continues to be the largest contributor to agricultural output. In 2023–24, it accounted for ₹1,595 thousand crore or 54.1% of total GVO at constant prices. Cereals and fruits & vegetables jointly made up 52.5% of this, with paddy and wheat contributing about 85% of the cereal GVO.
Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Telangana, and Haryana together generated nearly 53% of cereal GVO. Uttar Pradesh retained the top spot, though its share slightly declined from 18.6% in 2011–12 to 17.2% in 2023–24.
Fruit & Vegetable Dynamics: Banana Takes the Lead
In a shift among fruit crops, banana overtook mango in 2023–24 as the leading contributor, with a GVO of ₹47.0 thousand crore, just ahead of mango at ₹46.1 thousand crore. Mango had led from 2011–12 to 2021–22. Meanwhile, potato remained dominant in the vegetable category, with its GVO increasing from ₹21.3 thousand crore in 2011–12 to ₹37.2 thousand crore in 2023–24.
Floriculture has shown marked growth as well, nearly doubling its GVO from ₹17.4 thousand crore to ₹28.1 thousand crore, indicating increased commercial interest and diversification in horticulture.
Changing Regional Patterns
Between 2011–12 and 2023–24, the state-wise contributions to fruit, vegetable, and floriculture GVO have shifted, reflecting changes in agricultural patterns. In the condiments and spices category, Madhya Pradesh emerged as the leading contributor in 2023–24 with 19.2%, followed by Karnataka (16.6%) and Gujarat (15.5%).
Livestock Sector: Expansion and Diversification
The livestock sector has grown significantly, with its GVO rising from ₹488 thousand crore in 2011–12 to ₹919 thousand crore in 2023–24. Milk remains the largest contributor, although its share has slightly dropped from 67.2% to 65.9%. The meat segment, on the other hand, has gained ground, with its share rising from 19.7% to 24.1%.
Forestry and Fisheries: Commercial Growth
The forestry and logging sector showed consistent growth, with GVO increasing from ₹149 thousand crore to ₹227 thousand crore. The share of industrial wood in this sector grew significantly from 49.9% in 2011–12 to 70.2% in 2023–24, marking a shift towards more commercialized forestry practices.
The fishing and aquaculture sub-sector has also expanded its role in the agricultural economy, with its share in agricultural GVA rising from 4.2% to 7.0% over the study period. While the share of inland fish dropped from 57.7% to 50.2%, marine fish saw a rise from 42.3% to 49.8%. West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh continued to be major contributors to the fisheries output.
