India has a hugely interesting association with fruits - from mythology to modern times, fruit has put India on the world map for many different reasons. For instance, the mango is known as the king of fruit and there are around 1000 different varieties of this fruit in India. 

Looking at the fruit map of India - it is interesting to see how different regions have become associated with different fruit. From the apples of Kashmir to the pineapples of Kerala - the journey through fruit capitals of India is diverse, interesting and sumptuous!

States ‘bearing fruit’

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), India is the second largest fruit producer in the world. In 2019-20, our country produced 99.07 million metric tonnes of fruits, according to The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). Bananas, papayas and mangoes have been the major contributors to these numbers.

States like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar & Gujarat are most commonly associated with mangoes. Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana are associated with grapes. States like Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Jammu & Kashmir and Assam are populating the fruit map as well. While it is difficult to cover all states and all fruit, let’s take a journey through some of the fruit destinations of India. 

One of the most popular fruits is the mango. India produces a large number commercially. Some of the more popular ones are:

• Alphonso
• Kesar
• Banganapalli
• Neelum
• Chausa
• Malda
• Totapuri and
• Dashehari

Alphonso is one of the varieties that gets exported in large quantities and Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are some of the larger producers of this type of mango. Recently, West Bengal exported the GI certified Fazil mango variety to Bahrain. 

Grapes have become synonymous with Nashik, Maharashtra. The Nashik grape has received the GI tag and this district accounts for 55% of the exports from India.

Another fruit with staggering varieties is the ubiquitous banana. Around 20 varieties dominate when it comes to production and exports. India ranks first in global production of bananas. Tamil Nadu accounts for the largest production of bananas. Andhra Pradesh is another noteworthy state for this fruit.

Himachal Pradesh is known for its delicious apples and very recently, 5 types of unique varieties of apples were exported from this state to Bahrain. Jammu & Kashmir also is a major presence when it comes to apple production. 

The Vazhakulam Pineapple is known for its sweetness and is grown in Kerala. India ranks fifth in the world for pineapple production and with the GI tag for this fruit, the future looks even stronger. 

Oranges are grown in multiple locations in India too. From the famed Nagpur Orange to the Coorg variety and the Jalna sweet orange of Maharashtra to the Rajasthani kinnow, there is plenty to choose from here as well. 

Indigenous fruit such as the jamun have given India global status as well. Found almost everywhere, the purple jamun is grown mainly in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. Exotic fruits such as the litchi from Assam and the mangosteen of Tamil Nadu make India a ‘fruitful’ nation in so many ways! 

#InterestingInfo

• Pomegranate is associated with Mother Earth in India 
• Fruits have a close connection with Gods and Goddesses in Indian mythology too - Lakshmi loves amla and  Saraswathi loves ber!