Table of Contents
Introduction
Tomato is an essential part of Indian cuisine. Tomatoes are consumed in almost every Indian household. Tomatoes are commonly used in various recipes, such as soups, sauces, chutneys, purees, etc. In India, Tomato is also known as Tamatar.
Tomatoes are grown worldwide in countries such as China, India, Turkey, United States, Egypt, Italy, and Mexico. India ranks second in the production of tomatoes, producing over 20 megatonnes of tomatoes in the year 2022-23. In this blog, we will discuss the top 10 tomato-producing states in India for the year 2023-24.
Top 10 Tomato Producing States in India
- Madhya Pradesh
- Andhra Pradesh
- Karnataka
- Gujarat
- Odisha
- West Bengal
- Maharashtra
- Tamil Nadu
- Bihar
- Chhattisgarh
These top 10 states account for 81.3% of India’s total Tomato production. Now let us discuss in detail each of the top 10 Tomato-producing states in India.
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh is the leading Producer of tomatoes. In the year 2023-24, Madhya Pradesh produced 3498.26 Kilotonnes of tomatoes in an area of 1196.7 km². Madhya Pradesh accounts for 16.4% of India’s total production of tomatoes.
The major tomato-growing regions in Madhya Pradesh are Shivpuri, Jhabua, and Shajapur.
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh is the second-leading Producer of tomatoes. In 2023-24, Andhra Pradesh Produced 2438.28 Kilotonnes of Tomatoes in a production area of 541.8 km². Andhra Pradesh accounts for 11.4% of India’s total production of tomatoes.
The top tomato-growing regions in Andhra Pradesh are Chittoor, Prakasam, Anantapur, Kurnool, and Visakhapatnam.
Karnataka
Karnataka ranks third in tomato production in India. Karnataka accounts for a total production of 2007.33 Kilotonnes of tomatoes in the year 2023-24 in a production area of 788.3 km². Karnataka’s share is 9.4% of the total production of tomatoes in India.
The major tomato-growing regions in Karnataka include Kolar and Belagavi.
Gujarat
Gujarat is the fourth leading Producer of tomatoes, with the production of 1809.68 Kilotonnes of tomatoes in the year 2023-24. The total area of tomato cultivation in Gujarat in the year 2023-24 is 665.7 km². Gujarat has an 8.4% share of the tomato production market in India.
The main tomato cultivation regions in Gujarat include Mehsana, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Anand, and Ahmedabad.
Odisha
Odisha secures fifth place in the production of tomatoes in the year 2023-24. Odisha accounts for a total production of 1496.34 Kilotonnes of tomatoes in a production area of 981.4km². Odisha’s share is 7.0 % of total tomato production in India in 2023-24.
The chief Tomato growing regions in Odisha include Balangir, Ganjam, Keonjhar, and Mayurbhanj.
West Bengal
West Bengal ranks sixth in tomato production in India. In 2023-24, Odisha produced 1369.67 Kilotonnes of tomatoes in an area of 610.3 km². Its production share is 6.4% of the total Tomato Produced in India.
The major tomato-producing regions of West Bengal are Nadia and Murshidabad.
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is in seventh position in Tomato production in India. Maharastra produces 1332.09 Kilotonnes of tomatoes in the year 2023-24 in an area of 552.3 km². Maharashtra accounts for 6.2% of total tomato production in India.
The significant tomato-producing regions of Maharastra are Nashik, Ahmednagar, Pune, and Nagpur.
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu ranks Eighth in Tomato production in India. In the year 2023-24, Tamil Nadu Produced 1169.23 Kilotonnes of tomatoes in an area of 388.5 km². Tamilnadu accounts for 5.4% of Total tomatoes produced in India in the year 2023-24.
The top tomato-producing regions in Tamil Nadu are Salem, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, and Dindigul.
Bihar
Bihar ranks Ninth in India for tomato production. Bihar produces 1168.62 Kilotonnes of tomatoes in the year 2023-24 in an area of 632 km², with a production share of 5.4%.
The Chief Tomato producing regions in Bihar are Vaishali, Kaimur, Begusarai, Patna and Nalanda.
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh ranks tenth in Tomato production in India in the year 2023-24. Chhattisgarh produced 1048.18 Kilotonnes of tomatoes in an area of 618.77 km².
Raipur, Bilaspur, and Jaspur are the common tomato-producing regions in Chhattisgarh.
Fun Facts About Tomatoes
- Tomato belongs to the nightshade family. A tomato is actually a fruit, not a vegetable.
- Tomatoes have more than 10,000 varieties worldwide, with variants in colours from red to green to purple and even black.
- Tomatoes contain Lycopene antioxidants, which help prevent cancer and heart diseases.
- Tomatoes have soothing properties due to Vitamin C and Lycopene, which help calm the redness and skin sunburn inflammation.
- The world’s largest tomato plant is in Walt Disney World Resort, producing over 32000 tomatoes in a single harvest.
- La Tomatina, also known as Spain’s Tomato Festival, is celebrated by throwing tomatoes at each other.
- Europeans nicknamed tomatoes as “Poisonous Apples” decades ago as they fell sick after eating them. The lead in pewter plates used by Europeans reacted with acid present in tomatoes, leading to Lead poisoning, and this is the reason for sickness.
- People worldwide use tomato skin as a cleaner as it contains Vitamin A, C, K, and oxalic acid.
- In a program called Tomatosphere by NASA, tomato seeds were sent to ISS to see the germination of the seeds in space under various space conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tomatoes
Q. Is Tomato a vegetable or fruit?
A. According to botany, tomatoes are considered fruit.
Q. What is Tomato’s origin?
A. Tomato originated in the Andes Mountains of South America and was first domesticated in Mexico.
Q. What is India’s tomato production level?
A. India is the second largest tomato producer globally in 2022-23, accounting for 11% of the world’s tomato production by producing 20 million tonnes of tomatoes.
Q. Why is a Tomato called “Poison apple”?
A. Tomatoes are called poison apples by the Europeans, who observed that they fell sick after eating raw tomatoes and eventually died. However, the lead in the plate used by Europeans in ancient times reacted with acid present in tomatoes, leading to Lead poisoning, and this is the cause of sickness.
Q. Which is the birthplace of Tomato?
A. The Andes Mountains of South America are believed to be the origin place of Tomato.
Q. Which state is the highest Producer of tomatoes in India?
A. Madhya Pradesh is the highest Producer of Tomatoes, producing 3498.26 Kilotonnes of tomatoes in the year 2023-24.
Q. Which region is the top Producer of tomatoes in India?
A. Madhya Pradesh is the top Producer of tomatoes in India in 2023-24.
Q. What are the top 3 tomato-producing states?
A. Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka are the top 3 Tomato Producing states in India in 2023-24.
Q. Which country is No. 1 in tomato production?
A. China is in the First Position in tomato production in the world.
Q. Which country is the largest consumer of Tomatoes?
A. China is the largest producer and consumer of tomatoes.
Q. Which country is the second largest producer of Tomatoes in the world?
A. India.