Friday, 17 May, 2024
At present, India is the second largest producer of vegetables and fruits in the world. Image Source: IANS
According to final estimates, vegetable production increased from 209.14 million tonnes in 2021–2022 to 212.55 million tonnes in 2022–2023.
According to final estimates, the nation's horticultural output in 2022–2023 is approximately 355.48 million tonnes, a 2.39 percent rise from 2021–2022. The final estimates for 2022–2023 show an increase in area of 1.41 percent, or 0.40 Million Ha, over 2021–2022.
Final Estimates for Fruit Production in 2022–2023 Show that increases in Apple, Banana, Grape, Mango, and Watermelon production will account for the majority of the expected 110.21 million tonnes of fruit produced.
According to final estimates, vegetable production increased from 209.14 million tonnes in 2021–2022 to 212.55 million tonnes in 2022–2023. The primary cause of this is the rise in all vegetables, with the exception of green chilies, onions, radishes, tapiocas, and tomatoes. Potato production is expected to be 601.42 lakh tonnes in 2022-23 while the production in the year 2021-22 was 561.76 lakh tonnes. Tomato production is estimated to be around 204.25 lakh tonnes in the year 2022-23 as compared to 206.94 lakh tonnes in the year 2021-22.
At present, India is the second largest producer of vegetables and fruits in the world. Country ranks first in the production of number of crops like Banana, Lime & Lemon, Papaya, and Okra.
Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare
Talking about the First Advanced Estimates of the horticulture production in the year 2023-24, it is estimated to be around 355.25 million tonnes, registering an increase of 1.15 percent or 3.27 lakh hectares as compared to the final estimates of 2022-23. Fruit output is anticipated to reach 112.08 million tonnes, mostly as a result of increases in the production of mango, banana, and mandarin. Production of Vegetables is envisaged to be around 209.39 Million Tonnes. Production of tomatoes, tapioca, cauliflower, cabbage, pumpkin, and other vegetables is expected to continue to increase.
The production of tomato is expected to be around 208.19 lakh tonnes as compared to 204.25 lakh tonnes in the previous year, showing an increase of 1.93 percent. Production of Onion in 2023-24 (First Advance Estimates) is expected to be around 254.73 Lakh tonnes compared to around 302.08 Lakh tonnes last year due to decrease of 34.31Lakh tonnes in Maharashtra, 9.95 Lakh tonnes in Karnataka, 3.54 Lakh tonnes in Andhra Pradesh and 3.12 Lakh tonnes in Rajasthan. Potato production in 2023–24 (First Advance Estimates) is predicted to be approximately 589.94 lakh tonnes, down from approximately 601.42 lakh tonnes in the previous year. This decline is ascribed to West Bengal.
In order to promote horticulture holistically and to increase acreage, productivity, and post-harvest infrastructure, the government has been executing the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme throughout the States and UTs, since 2014–2015. The Government of India (GOI) contributes 60 percent of the total financing for development efforts under MIDH in all states, with the exception of the North East and the Himalayas, and the State Governments supply the other 40 percent. GOI makes up ninety percent of the contribution in the case of the Himalayan and North Eastern States. MIDH is one of the 11 schemes implemented under the Green Revolution Krishonnati Yojana. Approximately 6899 water sources have been developed under MIDH during 2018–19, in contrast to the target of 3800. Additionally, the expansion of water supply has allowed for the cultivation of horticulture on 40,554 ha of the planned 20,400 ha.
The Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture includes following sub schemes- i) National Horticulture Mission (NHM); ii) National Horticulture Board (NHB); iii) Horticulture Mission for North East and Himalayan States (HMNEH); iv) Coconut Development Board (CDB) and v) Central Institute for Horticulture (CIH).
Horticulture is a key contributor to India’s agricultural growth because it uses only 13.1 percent of the gross cropped land while making up about 30.4 percent of the agricultural GDP. In recent years, India’s overall production of horticulture has even surpassed that of food grains, demonstrating the industry’s potential. Horticulture not only helps to meet the nation’s nutritional demands, but it also widens the spectrum of agricultural operations, adds jobs to rural areas, and increases farmer revenue.
This sector, which accounts for 18 percent of all land used for cultivation, provides around 33 percent of the gross value added to the agricultural GDP. The industry is seen as a major driver of economic growth and is developing into an organised sector linked to exports, value addition, and seed trade. More than Rs. Four lakh crore worth of agricultural products are exported, with horticulture playing a major role.
An average gain of 78 percent was seen in the family income of horticulture farmers since the National Horticulture Mission initiative was implemented, rising from 0.73 lakh to 1.30 lakh annually, according to a 2017 report by the Institute for Social and Economic Change.
It is important to note that, despite the fact that the area dedicated to growing horticulture has not increased significantly—from 27.74 million hectares to 28.08 million hectares—crop production has increased—from 334.60 million tonnes in 2020–21 to 342.33 million tonnes in 2021–22 an further to 355.48 million tonnes in 2022-23.
Farmers have benefited greatly from horticultural crops, but there are still certain difficulties. The labour required in horticulture is significantly more than in food grain production because every plant on the field need the farmer's attention. Many farmers find it difficult to transition from agriculture to horticulture since the input costs for horticulture are so much higher than those for agriculture. The lack of infrastructure, such as cold-storage facilities, right from the village level makes it challenging for those already engaged in horticulture farming to protect the high-value fruits and vegetables from the weather conditions. These challenges need to be overcome by the use of well-crafted government measures and technologically intensive farming methods.
