Home/Countries/India/Nagaland
India · Nagaland·Updated May 2026·5 min read

Nagaland Potato Production: Naga Hills Belt

Quick Facts
  • Share of India: 0.10%
  • Production 2023-24: 55.12 thousand tonnes (DA&FW)
  • Area 2023-24: 4,440 ha
  • Productivity 2023-24: 12.41 t/ha (50% of national avg)
  • 5-year trend: Essentially flat across all metrics
  • Research centre: ICAR-RCNEH Nagaland Centre, Jharnapani

Nagaland produced 55.12 thousand tonnes of potatoes in 2023-24 from 4,440 hectares at a productivity of 12.41 t/ha — 0.10% of India's national output (DA&FW Horticultural Statistics at a Glance 2024, Table 7.3.31). The state's potato sector is small but among the most stable in the country — the DA&FW 5-year series shows essentially flat area, production, and productivity. There is no growth narrative and no decline narrative to report — this is a mature subsistence-and-local-market cropping pattern, not a commercial expansion or contraction story.

55.12K t
Production 2023-24
0.10%
Share of India
12.41 t/ha
Productivity (50% of nat'l)
Flat
5-yr trend (no growth or decline)

How much potato does Nagaland produce?

Nagaland produced 55.12 thousand tonnes of potatoes in 2023-24 from 4,440 hectares at a productivity of 12.41 t/ha — 0.10% of India's national output (DA&FW Horticultural Statistics at a Glance 2024, Table 7.3.31). Productivity is 50% of the national average.

YearArea ('000 ha)Production ('000 t)Productivity (t/ha)
2019-204.3555.6412.78
2020-214.3555.5912.79
2021-224.3655.6512.78
2022-234.4455.9112.60
2023-244.4455.1212.41

Source: DA&FW Horticulture Statistics Unit, Horticultural Statistics at a Glance 2024, Table 7.3.31.

The series is among the flattest in the DA&FW table: area moved less than 2% across 5 years, production movement under 1%, productivity stayed in a tight 12.41-12.79 t/ha band. This stability is the headline fact for Nagaland's potato sector — there is no growth narrative and no decline narrative to report. DA&FW Table 7.4.3 does NOT enumerate Nagaland districts for potato; district-level data is therefore not asserted on this page.

What is the agro-climatic context for Nagaland potato?

Nagaland falls within the eastern North-Eastern Hill agro-climatic zone, characterized by highland to mid-elevation cultivation across the Naga hills.

Cool year-round temperatures in highland districts extend the growing window for potatoes, while heavy monsoon rainfall (the state lies within the influence of both the southwest monsoon and the residual northeast monsoon) provides adequate water. The predominantly red lateritic and forest-derived soils on hilly terrain require cultivation on terraced and contoured fields. Traditional jhum (shifting) cultivation has largely given way to settled cultivation, with potatoes grown both in subsistence kitchen-garden patterns and as a small commercial crop for state-internal markets.

At 12.41 t/ha, Nagaland's productivity sits in the middle range among northeast states — better than Assam (8.56 t/ha) and Meghalaya (10.04 t/ha), lower than Tripura (19.16 t/ha). The constraint pattern mirrors other highland NE states: disease pressure, seed quality, and limited extension reach in remote terrain.

Source: ICAR-RCNEH agro-climatic classifications.

What research infrastructure supports Nagaland potato?

Nagaland is served by the ICAR-RCNEH Nagaland Centre at Jharnapani:

  • Jharnapani Centre is one of the regional centres of the ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region (ICAR-RCNEH), whose HQ is at Umiam (Barapani), Meghalaya.
  • The Nagaland centre operates within the ICAR-RCNEH mandate for agricultural research in the NEH region, including potato among its working areas.
  • Additional state-level research and extension via Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in Nagaland's districts under the ICAR-State extension framework.

Source: ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region (ICAR-RCNEH) institutional documentation.

What data is NOT available for Nagaland?

This page is built on DA&FW state-level series and ICAR-RCNEH institutional documentation for Nagaland. The following information surfaces are NOT currently published from primary sources surveyed:

  • District-level area, production, or productivity data for Nagaland (the state is not in DA&FW Table 7.4.3)
  • State-specific variety adoption acreage data
  • Detailed cold-storage, processing, or post-harvest infrastructure data at the state level

Where these data become available from approved primary sources (Nagaland state horticulture department, ICAR-RCNEH Nagaland Centre technical publications, peer-reviewed studies), this page is structured to absorb them as additional sections without requiring a rewrite.

Sources
DA&FW Horticulture Statistics Unit, "Horticultural Statistics at a Glance 2024", Table 7.3.31 — state-level area, production and productivity of potato 2019-20 through 2023-24
ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region (ICAR-RCNEH) institutional documentation — Nagaland Centre at Jharnapani; regional mandate includes potato cultivation improvement in the northeast

Frequently Asked Questions

How much potato does Nagaland produce?+

Nagaland produced 55.12 thousand tonnes of potatoes in 2023-24 from 4,440 hectares at a productivity of 12.41 t/ha, contributing 0.10% of India's national output (DA&FW Horticultural Statistics at a Glance 2024, Table 7.3.31). The state's potato sector is small but among the most stable in India.

Is Nagaland's potato production growing?+

Nagaland's 5-year DA&FW series is among the flattest in the national table: total area movement under 2% across 5 years (4.35-4.44 thousand ha), total production movement under 1% (55.12-55.91 thousand t), productivity in a tight 12.41-12.79 t/ha band. There is no growth narrative and no decline narrative to report. This is a mature subsistence-and-local-market cropping pattern rather than commercial expansion or contraction.

Where is potato grown in Nagaland?+

Nagaland falls within the eastern North-Eastern Hill agro-climatic zone, characterized by highland to mid-elevation cultivation across the Naga hills. Cool year-round temperatures in highland districts extend the growing window. Traditional jhum (shifting) cultivation has largely given way to settled cultivation, with potatoes grown both in kitchen gardens and as small commercial crops for state-internal markets. Soils are predominantly red lateritic and forest-derived on hilly terrain; cultivation generally on terraced and contoured fields.

Does Nagaland have district-level potato data?+

No — DA&FW Horticultural Statistics at a Glance 2024 Table 7.4.3 (major producing districts) does NOT enumerate Nagaland districts for potato. District-level data is therefore not asserted on this page.

What research infrastructure supports Nagaland potato?+

Nagaland is served by the ICAR-RCNEH Nagaland Centre at Jharnapani — one of the regional centres of the ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region (ICAR-RCNEH), HQ at Umiam (Barapani), Meghalaya. The Nagaland centre operates within the ICAR-RCNEH mandate for agricultural research in the NEH region, including potato among its working areas. Additional state-level research and extension via Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in Nagaland's districts under the ICAR-State extension framework.

How does Nagaland's potato productivity compare to other NE states?+

At 12.41 t/ha, Nagaland's productivity sits in the middle range among northeast states — better than Assam (8.56 t/ha) and Meghalaya (10.04 t/ha), but lower than Tripura (19.16 t/ha). However, it remains well below the national average of 24.57 t/ha. The constraint pattern mirrors other highland northeastern states: disease pressure, seed quality, and limited extension reach in remote terrain.

Other top potato states in India

Continue Reading

Further reading

Explore Potatopedia's deeper references on Indian and global potato production, varieties, processing, storage, and trade.

Have a question about Indian potato production?
Ask Potatopedia AI for instant, data-backed answers drawn from FAOSTAT, ICAR-CPRI, DAFW, and other authoritative sources.
Ask Potatopedia AI →