Arecanut
Planted once, harvested year after year.
Sowing Growing Harvest
When to sow and harvest
Planted once at the start of the monsoon. It stays for years and gives a harvest every year.
Will it grow on your land?
Pick your place and water to see:
- Whether Arecanut suits your land Good fit, possible or won't work, with the reasons.
- What it could earn an acre From yields near you and mandi prices.
- Water and fertiliser it needs Irrigations for your water, and bags for one acre.
What it needs
Temperature
Survives 7–39 °C.
Water
Rain and irrigation together, worked out where most of it grows:
Soil pH
Likes slightly acidic soil. Grows from pH 4.5 to 6.8.
Source: FAO ECOCROP crop requirements (via OpenCLIM/ecocrop); FAO-56 crop coefficients (Allen et al. 1998); IMD gridded daily rainfall (0.25°); IMD gridded daily max/min temperature (1°).
Fertiliser for one acre
Watch out for
Mandi price, month by month
Rupees a quintal, typical across India's mandis. Average of 2021–2025.
Source: Agmarknet daily prices and arrivals (India Data Portal).
Where it grows in India
- Area grown in India
- 22.0 lakh acres
- 2022-23
- Average yield
- 24 quintals an acre (6.0 tonnes a hectare)
- 2022-23
- Most area
- Shivamogga
- Karnataka
- Best yield
- Uttara Kannada
- 57 quintals an acre
States that grow it
Each state's share of India's production, in its latest year with figures (2025-26). Tap a state to open it.
Source: Horticulture area & production statistics (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare).
Where it grows most
The districts with the most area in recent years. The map colours every district growing it on at least 100 ha by yield; the numbers mark these districts.
- 1 Shivamogga Karnataka 13% 2.6 lakh acres
- 2 Dakshina Kannada Karnataka 13% 2.4 lakh acres
- 3 Chikkamagaluru Karnataka 9.3% 1.8 lakh acres
- 4 Davanagere Karnataka 9.2% 1.8 lakh acres
- 5 Tumakuru Karnataka 8.6% 1.6 lakh acres
- 6 Chitradurga Karnataka 5.2% 98,747 acres
- 7 Uttara Kannada Karnataka 4.2% 78,788 acres
- 8 Udupi Karnataka 3.0% 56,047 acres
- 9 Kasaragod Kerala 2.7% 50,356 acres
- 10 Kodagu Karnataka 2.5% 48,215 acres
Arecanut yield
- 0.7–2.4 quintals an acre
- 2.5–3.2 quintals an acre
- 3.3–6.5 quintals an acre
- 6.5–37 quintals an acre
- 38–57 quintals an acre
1 Numbers match the list: the districts with the most area.
Source: Crop area, production & yield – district-wise (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); Crop area, production & yield – UPAG (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare). 2003-04 to 2022-23.
Where yields are highest
Districts growing it on at least 100 ha, against the average across India. The line runs from India's average to each district.
- Uttara Kannada Karnataka 57 quintals an acre 1.9× India
- Dakshina Kannada Karnataka 45 quintals an acre 1.5× India
- Ballari Karnataka 42 quintals an acre 1.4× India
- Udupi Karnataka 42 quintals an acre 1.4× India
- Bengaluru Rural Karnataka 42 quintals an acre 1.4× India
- Chitradurga Karnataka 41 quintals an acre 1.3× India
- Haveri Karnataka 41 quintals an acre 1.3× India
- Dharwad Karnataka 41 quintals an acre 1.3× India
- Sri Sathya Sai Andhra Pradesh 40 quintals an acre 1.3× India
- Bengaluru Urban Karnataka 40 quintals an acre 1.3× India
Source: Crop area, production & yield – district-wise (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); Crop area, production & yield – UPAG (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare). 2003-04 to 2022-23.
Across India over the years
Yield across India, quintals an acre
Area sown across India, acres
Years run July to June. Only years in which most of the usual districts reported are shown.
Source: Crop area, production & yield – district-wise (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); Crop area, production & yield – UPAG (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare). 2003-04 to 2022-23.
Soil and yield
How district soil tests line up with this crop's yields across India.
Arecanut yields tend to be higher in districts with
- More soil short of iron strong 97 districts
- More soil short of zinc moderate 97 districts
- More soil that is alkaline moderate 97 districts
- More soil that is salty weak 97 districts
- More soil that is neutral weak 97 districts
Arecanut yields tend to be lower in districts with
- More soil that is acidic moderate 97 districts
A pattern is not proof that soil causes the difference.
Source: Soil Health Card – soil nutrient analysis (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); Crop area, production & yield – district-wise (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); Crop area, production & yield – UPAG (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare).