AgricultureID

State · IN-KA

Karnataka

Karnataka ranges from the humid Western Ghats and coastal strip, through the transitional malnad, to a large semi-arid interior plateau. The Ghats receive very heavy monsoon rain, while much of the interior is dry and drought-prone.

Major crop systems

  • Finger millet (ragi) and other millets
  • Maize
  • Irrigated sugarcane
  • Coffee and spices in the Western Ghats
  • Pulses, cotton and horticulture

Major livestock systems

  • Dairy (cattle and buffalo)
  • Sheep and goats
  • Poultry

Agricultural land: A mix of rainfed plateau farming and irrigated command areas, with distinctive perennial plantation agriculture (coffee and spices) on the Western Ghats and extensive horticulture. Irrigation: Rainfed dryland cropping predominates across the interior, with irrigation from the Krishna and Cauvery basins and tank systems supporting paddy, sugarcane and horticulture.

Agroecological zones: Am (Tropical monsoon), Aw (Tropical savanna (dry winter)), BSh (Hot semi-arid (steppe))

Documented crops & livestock

Official institutions

  • Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) — National agricultural research system coordinating research and variety development.
  • University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore — A state agricultural university; UAS institutions also serve Dharwad and Raichur.
  • Department of Agriculture, Government of Karnataka — State authority for agricultural administration and statistics.

Data coverage & limitations

Descriptive profile; subnational agricultural statistics for Karnataka are published by ICAR, the state agricultural universities, and the state Department of Agriculture (with national aggregates by FAO) and are not reproduced numerically here.

  • Administrative boundaries and the region code follow the official ISO 3166-2 system; this profile does not redraw them.
  • Any agricultural statistics are dated and source-specific; where an official figure is not reproduced here, consult ICAR and the state Department of Agriculture directly.
  • The state combines Western Ghats plantation agroecology with a semi-arid interior; statewide descriptions necessarily generalise across them.

Sources

This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.

  1. [1]ICAR — national agricultural research system of India (opens in a new tab)

    Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)

    High

    Cited for: Crop and plantation systems context

    Type:
    Research institute
    Jurisdiction:
    India
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12
  2. [2]FAO — Food and Agriculture Organization (opens in a new tab)

    Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

    Authoritative

    Cited for: National agricultural context

    Type:
    Intergovernmental organization
    Jurisdiction:
    Global
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12