Karnataka Sees Sharp Drop in Arecanut Productivity Despite Major Expansion in Cultivation Area

Karnataka has strengthened its position as India’s leading arecanut producing state by expanding the area under cultivation over the past five years. However, newly released government data has highlighted a worrying trend that is causing concern among farmers, agricultural experts and policymakers. While the total land dedicated to arecanut farming has increased substantially, productivity per hectare has fallen sharply, resulting in lower overall production compared to previous years.

The figures, presented by the Union Government in the Lok Sabha, show that the state has witnessed more than a 32 percent increase in arecanut cultivation area during the last five years. Despite this expansion, the average yield from each hectare has dropped by nearly 37 percent, raising questions about the long term sustainability of one of Karnataka’s most valuable commercial crops.

According to the official estimates, Karnataka had approximately 603121 hectares under arecanut cultivation during the 2021 to 2022 period. The second advance estimates for 2025 to 2026 indicate that this figure has risen to nearly 798677 hectares. This represents an increase of around 195500 hectares, reflecting the confidence many farmers continue to place in arecanut cultivation.

However, the growth in cultivated land has not translated into higher farm productivity. Average production per hectare has declined from 2.24 tonnes to just 1.42 tonnes during the same period. Such a steep fall means that farmers are harvesting significantly fewer nuts from each hectare despite investing in larger plantation areas.

The decline in productivity has also affected Karnataka’s total arecanut production. During 2021 to 2022, the state produced approximately 1.35 million tonnes of arecanut. Production fell sharply to nearly 1.02 million tonnes in the following year before showing gradual improvement in subsequent seasons. Even with the recovery, the latest estimate for 2025 to 2026 stands at around 1.13 million tonnes, which remains roughly 16 percent lower than production recorded five years earlier.

These figures were shared by Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ramnath Thakur in a written reply to a question raised by Shivamogga Member of Parliament B Y Raghavendra in the Lok Sabha. The data has attracted considerable attention because Karnataka contributes the largest share to India’s arecanut economy.

Despite the reduction in productivity, Karnataka continues to dominate the country’s arecanut sector. Government statistics indicate that the state accounts for nearly 71.56 percent of India’s total area under arecanut cultivation. Even with declining yields, Karnataka contributes approximately 75.47 percent of the nation’s total arecanut production, demonstrating its continuing importance to the crop’s national supply.

The productivity challenge is particularly visible in Shivamogga district, one of Karnataka’s largest arecanut producing regions. The area under cultivation increased from around 111758 hectares to nearly 134692 hectares over the five year period. However, average productivity declined from 2.13 tonnes per hectare to only 1.11 tonnes. As a result, production dropped from approximately 237710 tonnes to around 149593 tonnes despite the increase in plantation area.

A similar trend has emerged in Dakshina Kannada, another major arecanut growing district. Cultivation expanded from nearly 101689 hectares to about 107900 hectares. Yet average productivity fell dramatically from 2.70 tonnes per hectare to 1.31 tonnes. Consequently, production decreased from approximately 274560 tonnes to about 141349 tonnes.

Udupi has also experienced a comparable situation. Productivity reportedly declined from 3.12 tonnes per hectare to 1.50 tonnes, leading to a significant reduction in overall production. Although cultivation area increased slightly, total output fell from around 72430 tonnes to less than 40000 tonnes during the period covered by the government estimates.

In Uttara Kannada, arecanut cultivation expanded from roughly 32698 hectares to 39354 hectares. Nevertheless, productivity dropped from 2.90 tonnes per hectare to about 1.50 tonnes. This decline caused total production to fall from around 94823 tonnes to nearly 59031 tonnes, further illustrating the widespread nature of the productivity issue across several traditional growing regions.

Not every district has reported declining production. Chikkamagaluru has recorded encouraging growth in recent estimates, while Haveri and Hassan have also shown increases in both cultivated area and production. These variations suggest that local climate, farming practices, irrigation availability and disease management may be influencing yields differently across regions.

Although the parliamentary reply did not specify the exact reasons behind the falling productivity, the government acknowledged that several support programmes are currently being implemented through the Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development. These initiatives focus on disease management, promotion of improved hybrid dwarf varieties, adoption of multi cropping systems and weather based disease forecasting.

Authorities are also addressing major crop diseases including leaf spot disease, fruit rot and root grub infestation, which are considered significant threats to arecanut plantations. In addition, the Central Government has launched a community based leaf spot disease management programme across ten affected taluks in Karnataka to reduce crop losses and improve plantation health.

The issue is not limited to Karnataka alone. National level data also reveals a similar pattern across India’s arecanut sector. The country’s cultivation area has increased from approximately 849330 hectares during 2021 to 2022 to around 1.106 million hectares in the latest estimates. However, average productivity has declined from 1.96 tonnes per hectare to only 1.38 tonnes during the same period.

Agricultural experts believe that multiple factors including changing weather conditions, pest attacks, plant diseases, ageing plantations and inconsistent rainfall patterns could be contributing to declining productivity. Continued research, improved farming techniques and stronger extension services will likely play an important role in reversing the trend and ensuring sustainable growth for Karnataka’s arecanut farmers in the years ahead.