India's arecanut acreage has risen by around 30 per cent over the past five years, even as total production and productivity declined, according to data furnished by the Government in the Lok Sabha and reported by businessline. Area under the crop increased from 8.49 lakh hectares in 2021-22 to 11.06 lakh hectares in 2025-26 (second advance estimates), an addition of 2.56 lakh hectares. Production dropped to 15.29 lakh tonnes from 16.66 lakh tonnes, while productivity fell to 1.38 tonne per hectare from 1.96 tonne per hectare.
Area expands, output declines
The national dataset, based on second advance estimates for 2025-26 furnished in the Lok Sabha, shows a widening gap between land allocated to arecanut and the volume harvested:
| Metric | 2021-22 | 2025-26 (2nd advance estimates) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area (lakh hectares) | 8.49 | 11.06 | +2.56 |
| Production (lakh tonnes) | 16.66 | 15.29 | -1.37 |
| Productivity (tonnes per hectare) | 1.96 | 1.38 | -0.58 |
Karnataka: area up, output down
Karnataka remains the dominant producer, accounting for 71.56 per cent of India's total arecanut area, or 7.98 lakh hectares, and 75.47 per cent of total production, or 11.32 lakh tonnes, according to businessline. The state's area under the crop rose 32.42 per cent over the last five years, while production declined 16 per cent and productivity fell 36.60 per cent.
Traditional Karnataka districts with more than 1 lakh hectares under arecanut – Dakshina Kannada, Shivamogga and Tumakuru – have recorded area growth but sharply lower output, businessline reported:
| District | Production 2021-22 | Production 2025-26 | Decline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dakshina Kannada | 2.74 lakh tonnes | 1.41 lakh tonnes | 1.33 lakh tonnes |
| Shivamogga | 2.37 lakh tonnes | 1.49 lakh tonnes | 88,000 tonnes |
| Tumakuru | 1.60 lakh tonnes | 1.17 lakh tonnes | 43,000 tonnes |
Mahesh Puchhappady, President of All-India Arecanut Growers' Association, told businessline that the district-level declines were attributed to fruit rot and leaf spot diseases in plantations.
Fruit rot and leaf spot diseases have affected about 50-60 per cent of arecanut plantations in the past few years, according to Puchhappady.
Non-traditional states drive acreage growth
Non-traditional arecanut-growing states – Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in south India, and Meghalaya and Nagaland in north-east India – have seen significant growth in area and production over the last five years, according to businessline. The percentage growth in area was steepest in Meghalaya, followed by Nagaland, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu:
| State | Area growth over five years |
|---|---|
| Meghalaya | 195.15% |
| Nagaland | 177.14% |
| Andhra Pradesh | 171.17% |
| Tamil Nadu | 92.25% |
Puchhappady said there were reports of large quantities of seedlings being sent from nurseries in coastal Karnataka to Tamil Nadu in recent years. Unlike traditional areas that depend on monsoon rains and traditional water sources, some growers in non-traditional areas are using borewells to irrigate their plantations, he said.
Seedling supplies and new growing zones
In a separate answer in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, businessline reported that around 9 lakh arecanut seedlings were available in departmental farms in Karnataka during 2026-27, with a significant portion of the material also available in non-traditional arecanut-growing regions.
Puchhappady also said, referring to a minister's recent statement in the Karnataka Legislature, that the crop is now grown in almost every district of Karnataka, barring two. Even districts in dry-belt areas have taken up arecanut cultivation, he said. The state's output picture nevertheless remains split: production has declined in traditional growing areas while rising in newly added non-traditional areas, according to businessline.
For commodity traders and procurement teams, the data set presents a dual signal: total acreage is moving higher on the back of non-traditional states, while output in the dominant producer is contracting under disease pressure. Karnataka's combination of a 32.42 per cent acreage increase and a 16 per cent production decline shows how disease and shifting cultivation zones are reshaping supply fundamentals for India's arecanut market.
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