Organic Farming Area Rises as India Expands Certified Production

India’s certified organic farming area increased to 22.54 lakh hectares in 2024-25, according to data from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority. Another 17.14 lakh hectares were under conversion, taking the total farm area under the National Programme for Organic Production to nearly 39.68 lakh hectares.

Organic production also increased. Farms under the National Programme for Organic Production recorded 43.91 lakh tonnes of organic production in 2024-25, while another 3.09 lakh tonnes came from land under conversion. The figures cover crops and products including cereals, millets, pulses, oilseeds, fruits, vegetables, spices and medicinal plants.

Madhya Pradesh leads certified organic farming

Madhya Pradesh had the largest certified organic farm area in 2024-25, with 6.70 lakh hectares. Maharashtra followed with 5.27 lakh hectares, while Rajasthan had 3.04 lakh hectares. Gujarat and Odisha ranked next, with 1.93 lakh hectares and 93,537 hectares respectively.

The figures show that organic farming is not limited to one agricultural region. Sikkim had 75,452 hectares under organic certification, while Uttarakhand had about 56,010 hectares. Jammu and Kashmir recorded 24,365 hectares of certified organic farm area during the same period.

A large area is also moving towards organic certification. Maharashtra had about 4.40 lakh hectares under conversion, followed by Gujarat with 2.44 lakh hectares and Rajasthan with 2.48 lakh hectares. This land is going through the required transition before it can be counted as certified organic production.

Organic exports cross ₹5,394 crore

India exported 3.68 lakh tonnes of organic products during 2024-25. The exports were valued at ₹5,394.32 crore, or about $665.97 million, according to APEDA. The United States was the largest destination, taking more than 1.31 lakh tonnes worth ₹2,677 crore.

The European Union was the second-largest destination, receiving about 94,230 tonnes valued at ₹1,703 crore. Great Britain, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, the UAE, New Zealand and Japan were among other markets for Indian organic products.

For farmers, access to these markets depends on meeting organic production and certification requirements. India operates two main certification systems. The National Programme for Organic Production mainly supports certified organic production for export, while the Participatory Guarantee System supports domestic and local markets.

Certification and traceability become important

APEDA has also updated its TraceNet system. The new system became operational on July 11, 2026. TraceNet records information across the organic supply chain, including production, certification and quality assurance data submitted by producer groups, operators and certification bodies.

For organic farmers, traceability matters because buyers need to know where the produce came from and whether it followed the required production standards. Certification also requires records covering cultivation, storage, processing, packaging and distribution.

The latest data points to a growing certified organic sector, but the numbers also show a large area still under conversion. Farmers entering organic production need to plan for the transition period, certification requirements and market access instead of treating organic cultivation only as a change in farm inputs.

The next challenge is to connect more certified farmers with reliable buyers and processing facilities. Without that market link, increased organic production does not automatically translate into higher returns for farmers.