Datanomics: Banana steals mango's crown in India's fruit economy

Mango, the national fruit of India, is celebrated for its sweet taste, rich cultural symbolism, and wide cultivation across Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, and Maharashtra. Historically, mangoes have dominated the country’s fruit economy in value terms, underscoring their importance to farmers and markets alike. With varieties such as Alphonso, Dasheri, Langra, and Kesar, India is the world’s largest mango producer. The fruit is not just a commercial crop, but a traditional part of India’s culture and cuisine — used in everything from pickles to desserts to juices.

 

 

Recently, however, bananas have challenged mangoes’ throne. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s (Mospi’s) recently released “Statistical Report on Value of Output from Agriculture and Allied Sector” offers a new insight into India’s fruit economy. The gross value of output (GVO) of bananas, adjusted for inflation, surpassed that of mangoes for the second consecutive year in 2023-24. Between 2011–12 and 2021–22, mango consistently held the top spot in the fruit category’s GVO. Banana and mango together accounted for over 50.5 per cent of the total fruit GVO in 2023–24.

 

 

The GVO of other fruits also grew: Orange rose from ₹9,000 crore in 2011-12 to ₹15,500 crore in 2023-24, lemon from ₹4,800 crore to ₹12,300 crore, and pomegranate from ₹2,100 crore to ₹9,200 crore. The “remaining fruits” category remained the largest single block outside banana and mango. Overall, India’s total fruit GVO expanded at the compound annual growth rate of 3.48 per cent from ₹1.18 trillion in 2011-12 to ₹1.84 trillion in 2023-24.