Agriculture in West Bengal
Crop production, seasonal patterns, district-level output, and West Bengal's national contribution as India's #1 rice and jute producer (and #2 in potato).
West Bengal produces a quarter of India's potatoes (second only to Uttar Pradesh), two-thirds of its jute, and is among the top rice-producing states. About twenty-one percent of GSDP still comes from agriculture, feeding nearly 10 crore people from 88,000 km². This page maps what grows, where, and how productivity is changing.
Key figures & data tables
Agriculture is 21.1% of West Bengal’s GSDP. The state is India’s number-one producer of jute, rice, growing 66% of India's jute and 13.2% of India's rice. Total foodgrain output is 19.8 million tonnes, of which rice alone is 15.75 MT; potato adds 13.5 MT and jute 7.2 MT.
Net sown area is 49.9 lakh hectares and cropping intensity 186% — among the highest in India, meaning most fields carry close to two crops a year. Cropping intensity has risen from 178% in 2015-16. Only 56.4% of cropped area is irrigated, which is what caps it.
Production is seasonally lopsided: Kharif (Jun–Oct) 48% · Rabi (Nov–Mar) 42% · Zaid (Apr–Jun) 10%. Rice takes 52.3% of cropped area for 33.5% of production by weight.
The rows behind the charts above — 6 tables
›West Bengal's share of India's production, by crop(8 rows)
Source: MoA&FW Directorate of Economics & Statistics; National Horticulture Board.
| Crop | WB share of India (%) | India rank | Production (million tonnes) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jute | 66 | 1 | 7.2 |
| Rice | 13.2 | 1 | 15.75 |
| Potato | 24 | 2 | 13.5 |
| Vegetables | 11.8 | 2 | 27.4 |
| Tea | 8.5 | 2 | 0.12 |
| Mustard | 5.2 | 5 | 0.58 |
| Pineapple | 7.8 | 3 | 0.15 |
| Litchi | 12 | 2 | 0.09 |
›Seasonal crop production in West Bengal(3 rows)
| Season | Crops | Production (MT) | Share of total (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kharif (Jun–Oct) | Rice (Aman), Jute, Maize | 22.5 | 48 |
| Rabi (Nov–Mar) | Potato, Wheat, Mustard, Vegetables | 19.8 | 42 |
| Zaid (Apr–Jun) | Rice (Boro), Summer Vegetables, Melons | 4.7 | 10 |
›Crop production by district, West Bengal(23 rows)
| District | Production (MT) | Dominant crop | Cropping intensity (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paschim Bardhaman | 5.2 | Rice | 198 |
| Purba Bardhaman | 4.8 | Rice | 204 |
| Hooghly | 4.5 | Rice & Potato | 212 |
| Murshidabad | 4.3 | Rice & Jute | 195 |
| Nadia | 3.9 | Rice & Vegetables | 201 |
| Birbhum | 3.1 | Rice | 175 |
| North 24 Parganas | 2.9 | Rice & Vegetables | 188 |
| South 24 Parganas | 2.7 | Rice | 165 |
| Malda | 2.6 | Rice & Mango | 183 |
| Cooch Behar | 2.5 | Rice & Jute | 190 |
| Bankura | 2.3 | Rice | 158 |
| Paschim Medinipur | 2.2 | Rice & Vegetables | 171 |
| Purba Medinipur | 2.1 | Rice | 169 |
| Uttar Dinajpur | 2 | Rice & Jute | 186 |
| Dakshin Dinajpur | 1.7 | Rice | 179 |
| Purulia | 1.5 | Rice | 132 |
| Howrah | 1.3 | Rice & Vegetables | 195 |
| Jalpaiguri | 1.2 | Rice & Tea | 161 |
| Alipurduar | 0.9 | Rice & Tea | 155 |
| Jhargram | 0.8 | Rice | 138 |
| Darjeeling | 0.7 | Tea & Rice | 142 |
| Kalimpong | 0.3 | Cardamom & Ginger | 118 |
| Kolkata | 0.05 | Vegetables | 100 |
›Crop composition — share of area vs share of production(10 rows)
| Crop | Share of area (%) | Share of production (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Rice | 52.3 | 33.5 |
| Vegetables | 12.1 | 29.2 |
| Potato | 5.8 | 14.4 |
| Jute | 7.2 | 7.7 |
| Oilseeds | 5.5 | 3.8 |
| Pulses | 3.4 | 2.1 |
| Wheat | 2.8 | 2.5 |
| Fruits | 4.2 | 4.6 |
| Tea | 2.1 | 1.3 |
| Others | 4.6 | 0.9 |
›Land utilization in West Bengal over time(9 rows)
| Year | Net sown area (lakh ha) | Gross cropped area (lakh ha) | Cropping intensity (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 52.1 | 92.8 | 178 |
| 2016-17 | 51.8 | 92.5 | 179 |
| 2017-18 | 51.5 | 92.2 | 179 |
| 2018-19 | 51.3 | 92.6 | 180 |
| 2019-20 | 51 | 92.3 | 181 |
| 2020-21 | 50.8 | 91.4 | 180 |
| 2021-22 | 50.5 | 91.9 | 182 |
| 2022-23 | 50.2 | 92.4 | 184 |
| 2023-24 | 49.9 | 92.8 | 186 |
›Every claim on this page, traced to its source(15 rows)
| Claim | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|
| WB #1 jute (66% of India), #1 rice (13.2%), #2 potato (24%), #2 vegetables (11.8%) | National Horticulture Board + Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare — 2nd Advance Estimates 2023-24 | 2023-24 |
| District-wise production: Paschim Bardhaman, Purba Bardhaman, Hooghly top WB districts | DES crop production statistics via data.gov.in (District, Season & Crop-wise Production) | 2022-23 |
| Land utilization: Net Sown 49.9L Ha, Gross Cropped 92.8L Ha, Cropping Intensity 186% | Agriculture Census + DES Land Use Statistics | 2023-24 |
| Yield per hectare — WB vs India for 14 major crops (Rice 3064 kg/ha, Foodgrains 3141) | Agricultural Statistics at a Glance 2024 (MoA&FW DES, Nov 2025), Tables 2.3(b), 2.4(b), 2.6(b), 2.9(b), 2.10(b), 2.13(b), 2.14(b), 2.15(b), 2.16(b), 2.18(b), 2.20(b), 2.49(b), 2.50(b), 2.51(b) | 2023-24 |
| Rice peer comparison — WB 3064 vs Punjab 4516, Telangana 3602, AP 3822 (kg/ha) | Agricultural Statistics at a Glance 2024, Table 2.4(b) | 2023-24 |
| WB fish production 20.45 lakh MT, 8L Ha inland water bodies, 1.17 lakh MT exports (₹5000 Cr) | West Bengal Inland Fisheries Policy 2023 — Kolkata Gazette Notification No. 2073-Fish, 27 Jul 2023, §1.1 | 2022-23 |
| WB inland fish productivity 3 t/ha vs 6-8 t/ha scientific potential | WB Inland Fisheries Policy 2023 | 2022-23 |
| Tea auction prices — North India ₹157.19/kg (Jan 2025), Apr 2023 - Jan 2025 monthly series | Tea Board of India — Month-wise Prices of All Tea at Indian Auctions, 2025 and 2024-25 | Apr 2023 - Jan 2025 |
| MSP paddy KMS 2024-25 target 21 LMT, MSP ₹2,300/qtl + WB state incentive ₹20/qtl | WB e-Paddy Portal (Procurement Policy & Guideline KMS 2024-25) + FCI state-wise procurement | KMS 2024-25 |
| WB paddy production 256.53 lakh MT (historic high) | Govt of West Bengal state announcement citing Dept of Agriculture | 2024-25 |
| Fertilizer per hectare WB 152.8 kg (vs Punjab 253.9, UP 192.5, All-India ~136) | Fertiliser Statistics 2021-22, Fertiliser Association of India (FAI) — state-wise per-hectare nutrient consumption | 2021-22 |
| National pesticide consumption 67.96 k tonnes (technical grade material) | Agricultural Statistics at a Glance 2024, Table 3.13 (state-wise per-ha pesticide data not consolidated in primary source within 2-year window) | 2023-24 |
| Bangla Shasya Bima: 85 lakh farmers benefited, ₹2,400+ Cr cumulative payout since 2019 (zero premium) | Bangla Shasya Bima portal + WB Agriculture Dept scheme page | Since 2019 (as of 2025) |
| East & NE India Monsoon 2025 = -20% rainfall departure (2nd lowest since 1901) | IMD Monsoon 2025 Salient Features (Special Daily Weather Report, 1 Oct 2025) | 2025 |
| WB irrigation coverage: 53.5% (Foodgrains), 51.1% (Rice) vs All-India 58.4% | Agricultural Statistics at a Glance 2024, Tables 2.3(b) & 2.4(b) | 2023-24 |