While large-scale agriculture is impossible within the urbanized, steep confines of Gangtok, the city relies heavily on the terrace farming practiced in its immediate rural outskirts. Sikkim is famous for being the world's first 100% organic state, a mandate strictly enforced around Gangtok.
Key crops grown in the surrounding valleys and traded in Gangtok's markets include large cardamom (for which Sikkim is a major global supplier), ginger, mandarin oranges, and seasonal vegetables. Floriculture, particularly the cultivation of orchids and gladioli, is also a significant agricultural pursuit in the region, driven by high demand from tourists and export markets.
