Summer has officially begun in India and that means it is time for one of the most eagerly awaited fruits which is the lychee, the small pink-skinned, sweet delicious fruit. Whether you eat it raw or make a juice out of it, lychee is a summer treat. But do you know where in India it is grown the most? Here is the answer.
Which State is the Largest Producer of Lychee in India?
As per the Department of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, Bihar is known to be the largest producer of litchi in India. It produced 136.62 MT of litchi as of 2024-25 estimates by the department.
Top 5 Lychee Producing States in India
As per the data, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Punjab and Assam are the states that grow most of the lychee in the country. Here is an overview of the top 5 litchi producing states in India:
| Serial No. | State | Area (HA) | Production (MT) |
| 1 | Bihar | 39.4 | 136.32 |
| 2 | Punjab | 4.52 | 74.97 |
| 3 | West Bengal | 12.06 | 71.72 |
| 4 | Jharkhand | 3.98 | 63.12 |
| 5 | Assam | 6.27 | 62.75 |
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Why is Bihar the Biggest Producer of Lychee in India?
The reasons are very simple when you look at Bihar's geography and farming culture:
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Good Soil: Ideal climate and fertile alluvial calcium-rich soil of the districts such as Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Samastipur, East Champaran and Begusarai help to produce the best quality lychee.
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Right Climate: Lychee cultivation requires a moist subtropical climate with no winter frost and dry and hot summer. This is a condition that is readily met in Bihar.
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Farming Heritage: Lychee cultivation is an integral part of the farming culture in Bihar and farmers have been growing this delicate fruit for years.
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Government Support: Lychee has been targeted as one of the export-oriented crops, and the Government of India assists lychee cultivation through schemes to provide planting material, and introduce improved cultivars and micro-irrigation.
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India's Place in the Global Lychee Production
China is the largest producer of Litchi in the world, followed by India in second position.
As per the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, “The top five world litchi producing countries are China, India, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. India and China account for 91 per cent of the world litchi production but it is mainly marketed in domestic markets. India enjoys a prominent position in the litchi map of the world, in terms of production. Over the years, India has recorded significant growth in production and productivity of litchi, though the trend is not consistent.”
So next time you eat a lychee on a hot summer day, think about the farmers working hard in the scorching sun, and plucking this delicious fruit from the trees in Bihar and all over India.
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