About Gourds and Cucumber
Bottle gourd (lauki), bitter gourd (karela), ridge gourd, sponge gourd, pumpkin and cucumber are everyday Indian vegetables. India also has a large export industry in gherkins, small cucumbers pickled in brine.
Where Gourds and Cucumber Is Grown
The main growing states and districts are listed below. Tap a state for its markets, season, agencies and buyers.
| State | Main districts | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Karnataka | Tumakuru, Chitradurga, Davangere, Ballari | Gherkin contract farming and gourds. |
| Tamil Nadu | Dindigul, Krishnagiri, Coimbatore | Gherkins and gourds. |
| Andhra Pradesh | Anantapur, Chittoor, Kurnool | Gherkins and gourds. |
| Uttar Pradesh | Varanasi, Lucknow, Meerut, Ghaziabad | Gourds for northern markets. |
| West Bengal | Hooghly, Nadia, North 24 Parganas | Gourds and pumpkin. |
| Bihar | Patna, Vaishali, Samastipur | Summer gourds. |
How It Is Grown
Gourds are vine crops sown in summer and the rainy season, often on bamboo or wire trellises (pandal) to improve fruit quality. Gherkins are grown under contract, mainly in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, and processed in brine or vinegar for export.
Season
Summer (February–May) and rainy-season (June–October) crops.
Uses and Buyers
Fresh markets; bitter gourd and other gourds are exported fresh to the UK and Gulf; gherkins go to Europe, the USA and Australia.
Quality and Price
Graded by size, tenderness and freshness; gherkins by count per kilogram.
Government Role
Gourds and Cucumber has no minimum support price, so it is bought almost entirely by private traders, processors and exporters. Government support comes through horticulture and crop missions, market regulation, export promotion and research.
Companies, Markets and Bodies
- KB Exports Pvt LtdMumbai · fresh fruit and vegetable exporterAboutExplore
- Ninjacart (63 Ideas Infolabs Pvt Ltd)B2B fresh produceAboutExplore
- BigBasket (Supermarket Grocery Supplies Pvt Ltd)Online groceryAboutExplore
- APEDAExport promotion and registrationAboutExplore
Related: All crops · All states
Names are listed for reference only and do not imply endorsement or affiliation. The About and Explore buttons open Google in a new tab; results there are generated by Google and third parties, not by this site. Prices, MSP, export rules and schemes change often. Nothing here is financial, legal or purchasing advice. Full disclaimer