India’s total cultivable land declined for a third straight year to 179.43 million hectares (mh) in 2024-25, while the gross cropped area expanded to 225.19 mh, according to the Land Use Statistics 2024-25 cited by Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Ramnath Thakur in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Friday.
Cultivable Land Shrinks, Gross Cropped Area Expands
Thakur said the total cultivable land stood at 179.43 mh in 2024-25, down from 179.77 mh in 2023-24 and 179.98 mh in 2022-23. In contrast, the gross cropped area increased from 198.28 mh in 2014-15 to 225.19 mh in 2024-25.
| Agricultural year | Total cultivable land (million hectares) |
|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 179.98 |
| 2023-24 | 179.77 |
| 2024-25 | 179.43 |
The minister attributed the divergence to rising cropping intensity, which climbed from 142.2 per cent in 2014-15 to 159.7 per cent in 2024-25. According to Thakur, adoption of modern technologies and effective policy interventions drove the improvement, reflecting a positive shift toward multiple cropping practices and farmers' enhanced ability to cultivate the same land more than once annually.
Foodgrain and Horticulture Output Climb
The intensification of land use has accompanied a sharp increase in agricultural output. Foodgrain production rose from 252.02 million tonnes (mt) in 2014-15 to 376.56 mt in 2025-26 (advance estimates), Thakur said. Horticulture production climbed from 280.98 mt in 2014-15 to 377.77 mt in 2025-26 (advance estimates).
For commodity analysts tracking Indian supply, the land-use data signals that gross sown area — not net cultivated area — remains the operative constraint for harvest output.
Makhana Enters Official Statistics
Separately, Thakur said the Horticulture Statistics Unit under the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare began recording makhana data from 2024-25. India produced 63,910 tonnes of makhana in 2024-25 with an average productivity of 2.03 tonnes per hectare. As per the Second Advance Estimates (2025-26), production rose to 80,590 tonnes with productivity at 2.34 tonnes per hectare.
Bihar was the leading producer in 2025-26, with 60,000 tonnes and an average productivity of 2 tonnes per hectare.
- 2024-25: 63,910 tonnes; 2.03 t/ha
- 2025-26 (Second Advance Estimates): 80,590 tonnes; 2.34 t/ha
- Bihar (2025-26): 60,000 tonnes; 2 t/ha
High-Yielding Varieties and Aquaculture Integration
Replying to a separate query, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Bhagirath Choudhary highlighted technologies developed by the ICAR-National Research Centre for Makhana, Darbhanga. He said the high-yielding makhana variety ‘Swarna Vaidehi’ has an average yield potential of 28-30 quintals per hectare — nearly double the 14-16 quintals per hectare from conventional cultivation — supported by a complete package of improved practices.
Two thorn-less water chestnut varieties, ‘Swarna Harit’ and ‘Swarna Lohit’, have also been developed for cultivation after makhana harvest, enhancing cropping intensity and optimising land use. In Chaur land, the makhana-cum-fish farming system offers 40-50 per cent higher income compared with solo makhana farming, Choudhary added.
Makhana Exports Gain a Statistical Identity
Prior to 2025, makhana was classified under general Harmonized System of Nomenclature (HSN) codes, making product-specific export data unavailable. To close this gap, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) introduced a separate HSN code for popped makhana and other makhana products in 2025.
India exported 7,264.89 tonnes of makhana products, valued at ₹192.96 crore, in 2025-26. Of this, Bihar exported 39.20 tonnes valued at ₹4.03 crore.
For procurement teams and traders, the new HSN code and the first official makhana production series provide a clearer statistical base for tracking one of India's niche aquatic crops, while the broader land-use numbers confirm that multiple cropping and high-yielding varieties are increasingly offsetting the decline in net cultivable area.
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