Amla Cultivation: Know The Indian Amla Mandi Trade

Amla is a vital mandi commodity in India. In the last few years, the production and cultivation of amla have increased significantly in India. Amla has many medicinal values and it’s great to consume for health reasons alone. Amla puree is one of the most in-demand products currently, and that’s why it’s being cultivated in different regions of the world. Apart from India, amla is also cultivated in Southeast Asia, South America, and Europe.

Amla is quite famous in the world due to its medicinal and nutraceutical properties. Amla powder is one of the most used forms of amla and it holds a 50% market share of total amla products and it is expected to grow further. Amla is used in many fields such as pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, health, and cosmetics.

Amla Production in India

Uttar Pradesh is the largest amla-producing state in India. It is responsible for 35% of the total amla production in the country. Uttar Pradesh produced 379 thousand metric tons of amla in the year 2017-18. Tamil Nadu is the second largest amla-producing state in India with a share of 28% of the domestic production. After this, Madhya Pradesh contributes 14% to amla production.

Rajasthan is also considered one of the major producers of amla. According to the National Horticulture Board, Rajasthan produced 995 metric tonnes of amla out of 13747 metric tons of total amla production in the world. The peak season of amla harvesting in India starts in mid-September and ends in late December. Amla can be cultivated in a barren and dry land. That’s why amla production has become a major income producer for farmers in Rajasthan.

Every year, India produces 1075 thousand metric tons of amla in an area of about 95000 hectares. India annually exports a large quantity of amla and its puree to countries like Japan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Malaysia, the United States of America, and Germany. Amla extract is one of the most exported products because of its use in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.

Amla Production and Export in the World

Currently, India is the largest producer of amla in the world. Amla is mainly grown in parts of Europe, Southeast Asia, and Western Asia.

The Asia Pacific region has come out as the most powerful region for the Indian amla market. America is the largest importer of amla in the world followed by China and Germany. Canada is the largest exporter of amla, followed by Thailand and Peru.

The export value of amla is $3.25 billion dollars in 2022 and has seen a significant increase of 13% as compared to 2021. The import value of amla has seen an increase of 10% over the previous year, with a market value of $ 3.51 billion dollars.

Ideal weather for Amla Cultivation

Amla cultivation occurs in the same months all over India. The planting season is between July-August. The harvesting season begins between mid-September and late December. Amla crops do not require irrigation during winters and rainy seasons. Its irrigation is usually done for 15 to 20 days in the summer season.

Amla varieties in India

There are three main varieties of amla in India – Chakaiya, Francis and Banarasi. Each of these varieties has its own properties. Apart from these three, Narendra Dev University of Agriculture and Technology has also introduced many commercial varieties of amla such as Krishna, Kanchan, Narendra Amla-6, Narendra Amla-7, and Narendra Amla-10. Let’s get to know them in detail:

Chakaiya: Chakaiya variety of amla has the potential to produce a huge crop with alternate year cultivation. Its fruits are fiber-rich and smaller in size as compared to other fruits of amla. Some varieties of Chakaiya have adopted special characteristics, e.g. the Kanchan NA-4 variety produces larger fruits as compared to the Chakaiya variety. NA-4 varieties are more fibrous and are used in processing. NA-6 varieties produce heavy low-fiber fruit. These amla varieties are best suited for candy and preserved products.
Francis: Francis is the most preferred amla variety in India. Francis is a high-yielding variety of amla. This variety is also used in the making of amla candy, powder and juice.
Banarasi: Banarasi amla gets ripe earlier than other varieties of amla. The shelf life of Banarasi amla is less than others. This variety is mostly used for making candy.

Other Developed Varieties Of Amla

Krishna (NA-5)	This is a variety of Banarasi amla. They are large, triangular, and conical in shape. Their color can be from yellow-green to apricot-yellow. Their skin is very smooth. These are less fibrous. This variety matures quickly.
Krishna (NA-4)	This is a variety of Chakaiya amla. Its fruits are medium in size and are rich in fiber. These are suitable for the pulp manufacturing industry. It ripens from mid-November to mid-December.
Narendra Amla-6	It is a variety of Chakaiya. Its fruits are bright green/yellow? in color and medium to large in size. They have low fiber in them. It ripens from mid-November to mid-December.
Narendra Amla -10	It is a variety of Banarasi amla. Its fruits are medium to large in size and flat, spherical in shape. The skin is rough and yellowish-green with a pinkish tinge. Its flesh is light green in color, and it’s rich in fiber. This variety have very short maturity time.
Narendra Amla-7	This is a variety of Francis amla. Its fruits are medium to large in size and conical in shape. These are richer in fiber than NA-6. It is a variety that blooms mid-season.

If you do mandi business of amla or want to do it in the future, then you may have found this blog helpful. If you want to connect with the mandi traders of amla, then you should try using the Bijak. Bijak makes mandi trading easy for users. We hope that you found this blog insightful. Don’t forget to like, share and follow the Bijak Blog to get weekly updates.