Andhra Pradesh rides the wave, leads India's fishing and aquaculture sector with 41% share

Andhra Pradesh has emerged as the leader in India's fishing and aquaculture sector, accounting for 40.9% of the total share. This is followed by West Bengal, Odisha, and Bihar. A recent report by the statistics office on the value of output from agriculture and allied sectors revealed that West Bengal's share in national output has decreased from 24.6% in 2011-12 to 14.4% in 2022-23, while Odisha and Bihar have increased their shares.

Steady Growth in Fisheries and Livestock

The fishing and aquaculture sub-sector has seen significant growth, with output increasing from about Rs 80,000 crore in 2011-12 to approximately Rs 1,95,000 crore in 2022-23. This includes the entire output of marine fishing and prawn production. The livestock sub-sector has also grown steadily over this period, with increases in the production of milk, meat, and eggs. In 2022-23, the share of milk in livestock output was 66.5%, meat was 23.6%, and eggs were 3.7%, compared to 67.2%, 19.7%, and 3.4% respectively in 2011-12.

Regional Contributions to Livestock and Sugar Crops

Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan together accounted for about a quarter of the livestock sub-sector's output, with Tamil Nadu showing rapid growth during this period. Uttar Pradesh had nearly 41% of the output of the sugar group in 2011-12, which increased to more than half of the total Indian output of sugar crops in 2022-23. Maharashtra was a distant second with 19%, followed by Karnataka (8.9%), Tamil Nadu (3.9%), and Bihar (3.3%). Other states accounted for the remaining 11.4%.

Bananas and Mangoes Lead Fruit Production

In the fruit sector, bananas overtook mangoes in terms of value of output in 2022-23, with bananas holding a 10.9% share and mangoes at 10%. Together, they accounted for more than one-fifth of the total fruit output. Among vegetables, potatoes and onions contributed the highest production, accounting for about 15% of the total output in the group. Floriculture contributed about 7%.

Bananas and Mangoes Lead Fruit Production

In the fruit sector, bananas overtook mangoes in terms of value of output in 2022-23, with bananas holding a 10.9% share and mangoes at 10%. Together, they accounted for more than one-fifth of the total fruit output. Among vegetables, potatoes and onions contributed the highest production, accounting for about 15% of the total output in the group. Floriculture contributed about 7%.

Economic Contribution of Agriculture

The agriculture, forestry, and fishing sectors accounted for 18.2% of the gross value added (GVA) at current prices in 2022-23, a key indicator of economic performance. After reaching 20.4% in 2020-21, it decreased to 18.9% in 2021-22.