Mizoram has emerged as one of India’s major arecanut-producing states, with the crop now covering around 67,380 hectares across the state, according to the state government.
The scale of cultivation was highlighted at a training-cum-seminar on scientific arecanut cultivation and pest management held at Vanapa Hall in Aizawl on Thursday. Chief Minister Lalduhoma inaugurated the programme, which brought together arecanut growers, officials and agricultural experts.
Mizoram is estimated to have produced around 512,000 quintals of arecanut during 2025-26, reflecting the growing importance of the plantation crop to the state’s agricultural economy.
Arecanut has been brought under the Department of Land Resources and Soil & Water Conservation since 2019. The government has been supporting growers through schemes including the Bana Kaih Handholding Scheme and the Chief Minister’s Special Package.
With such a large area under cultivation, the government is now focusing on improving productivity and making plantation farming more scientific. Farmers have identified the need for better access to pesticides, fertilisers, irrigation, pipes and roads connecting plantations to markets.
The government has secured ₹27.66 crore through NABARD and the Special Assistance for Capital Investment (SASCI) for plantation link roads. Around 170 km of roads are planned to improve access to plantations growing arecanut, rubber and coffee.
Mizoram is also exploring arecanut-cocoa intercropping, with the ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute working with the state department on the possibility of introducing cocoa alongside arecanut.
The state is further examining the potential of plantation crops for carbon financing and carbon credits, as arecanut, rubber and coffee plantations can absorb and store carbon dioxide.