Tomato Landscape in India: An In-Depth Look.

Tomato Landscape in India!

India holds the second place worldwide, producing over 20 million tonnes in 2020–21, up from 20.55 million tonnes the previous year.

The country’s varied geography and climates—from tropical deltas to arid plains—support tomato farming nearly year-round. A wide array of states contribute significantly to the national total.

Major Tomato-Producing States

• Roughly 90% of India’s tomato production comes from states like Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
• Andhra Pradesh tops the list, followed closely by Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.
• In Tamil Nadu, production stood at 1,169.23 kilotonnes (kt) in 2023–24—accounting for 5.4% of India’s total.
• Bihar produced a nearly identical 1,168.62 kt, or 5.4% of national output.
• Chhattisgarh contributed 1,048.18 kt in that period.

Popular Tomato Varieties in India

India cultivates a rich mix of varieties—both regionally adapted open-pollinated and high-yielding hybrids:

• Pusa Ruby: Early-maturing OPV developed by IARI; suited to North India.
• Arka Rakshak: Hybrid, disease-resistant (bacterial wilt, leaf curl, early blight); favoured in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu.
• Arka Vikas: High-yielding, deep-red fruits; adaptable across major tomato regions.
• Namdhari 2535: Indeterminate hybrid, uniform red fruits; popular in greenhouses. 
• Arka Saurabh: Semi-determinate, thick skin, good shelf life; grown in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh.
• Abhinav: Indeterminate hybrid; firm, uniform fruits with long shelf life; grown across Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu.
• Other notable names: Swarna Lalima, Arka Abha, Kashi Vishesh, Punjab Chhuhara, Rupali.

Additionally, IIHR (Indian Institute of Horticultural Research) has developed several notable cultivars, including Arka Vikas and Arka Ananya (resistant to leaf curl and bacterial wilt) (Wikipedia).

Tomato Production: Employment & Economic Impact

• Tomato farming in India provides livelihoods to millions of smallholder farmers, especially in rural regions of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Bihar.
• The sector is often affected by price volatility: For instance, wholesale prices at Nashik’s Pimpalgaon APMC dropped from ₹45/kg to ₹38/kg in early August 2025 due to a sudden spike in supply.
• Conversely, rain-induced disruptions—such as in Andhra Pradesh (Anantapur, Madanapalle)—have caused retail prices to climb to ₹60/kg, with measures taken by authorities to stabilise supply.
• In Maharashtra’s Rayakottai region, unseasonal rains slashed yields, causing a 25 kg box to spike from under ₹200 to ₹750—i.e., ₹30/kg.
• The combination of rapid supply changes and perishable nature often leaves farmers exposed to losses or abrupt transitions between profit and damage.

Trade and Government Initiatives: Operation Greens

• Recognising the volatile nature of Tomato–Onion–Potato (TOP) markets, the Indian government launched Operation Greens in 2018–19.
• With an initial fund of ₹500 crore, the initiative aims to support farmer-producer organisations (FPOs), strengthen logistics, and scale processing capacities to stabilise supply and prices year-round (Wikipedia).

Summary Box