Fine-tuning Horticulture

In the context of the emerging need for increasing exports in a competitive international market and substantially improving productivity and quality of horticulture produce, the Govt should evolve a focused strategy, suggests Dr AR Patel

India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world, next to China, contributing 10 and 13.4 per cent of the total world production of fruits and vegetables respectively. India ranks number one in respect of mango and banana in the world and as far as vegetables are concerned, India occupies first position in the production of cauliflower, second in onion and third in cabbage in the world. The country’s tropical, subtropical and temperate climate and varieties of soils are amply suited for cultivation of over 40 vegetables and 30 fruit trees. Though horticultural crops cover only 6.1 per cent of the gross cropped area, it contributes 18.8 per cent gross value of agricultural output and 14.5 per cent of foreign exchange earned through agriculture. Thus, diversification of agriculture to horticulture is very essential from the angle of minimising risk, enhancing profit, generating employments and optimising as well as conserving natural resources, providing nutritional and economic security and healthy environment. Development of horticulture is a pre-requisite as 6.7 per cent annual growth rate of horticulture is a must, if agricultural growth rate of 4.0 per cent is to be achieved. 

It may be appreciated that the Government of India has strengthened research and development activities in the sphere of horticulture and vegetables through provision of financial resources during the seventh, eighth and ninth Five Year Plans. However, productivity of fruits and vegetables per unit area, during the period from 1991-92 to 1998-99, has improved by 26 per cent, whereas production of fruits and vegetables as percentage to total production of horticulture and plantation crops has marginally declined from 90.28 in 1991-92 to 90.07 in 1998-99. Similarly, exports of fruits and vegetables in respect of quantity as well as well as percentage of total exports and value of horticulture and plantation crops have sharply declined from 51.46 to 43.55 and 16.39 to 14.48 respectively.

Area, Production and Productivity

For important horticultural crops in India 1991-92 and 1998-99
Area in '000 hectares and production in '000 tonnes
Crop	91-92	91-92	98-99	98-99	91-92	98-99
	Area	Prod	Area	Prod	Kg/ha	Kg/ha
Fruits	2,870	28,630	3,729	44,042	997	1,181
Veg	5,140	58,530	5,870	87,530	1,139	1,491
Others	4,285	9,382	5,541	14,501	2.19	2.62
Total	12,295	96,542	15,140	1,46,073	-	-
Others include flowers, medicinal and ornamental plants, spices and plantation crops

Realising the need and urgency, the 10th Five Year Plan has projected the demand of fruits and vegetables in the country at 2,496 lakh tonnes in the year 2007-08 indicating a rise by 89.71 per cent over the production of 1315.7 lakh tonnes in the year 1998-99. Against this background, an attempt is made here to analyse the performance of horticulture during the period 1991-92 to 1998-99. Area under fruits and vegetables increased 19.83 per cent from 8.01 million hectares in 1991-92 to 95.99 lakh hectares, while production rose 50.95 per cent from 871.6 lakh tonnes to 1315.72 lakh tonnes during the period. However, area and production of fruits and vegetables as percentage to total area and production of horticulture and plantation crops appreciably declined from 65.15 in 1991-92 to 63.40 in 1998-99 and marginally declined from 90.28 to 90.07 during the period respectively.

Exports
In case of vegetables, productivity per unit area improved significantly by 30.90 per cent as compared to increase in area by 14.20 per cent during the period. The combined effect of this was reflected in the increase in the production of vegetables by 49.55 per cent during the period. Quantum of exports of fresh as well as processed fruits and vegetables and their seeds increased  by 8.62 per cent from 581.93 thousand tonnes in 1991-92 to 632.09 thousand tonnes in 1998-99.

During the year 1998-99, export of fruits and vegetables in terms of quantity declined by 21.50 per cent as compared to that in the year 1991-92 whereas the value of export increased by 82.66 per cent. This was attributed to increase in the unit-value of export by 132.72 per cent.

In case of processed fruits and vegetables, while export in terms of quantity grew by 198.62 per cent during the year 1998-99 as compared to that in the year 1991-92, value of exports shot up by 296.94 per cent. Unit-value of export recorded marginal rise by 32.92 per cent during the period.

Projected demand
Projected demand of fruit and vegetables at the end of the 10th Five Year Plan, that is, during the year 2007-08 will have to record a growth by 69.94 per cent over that of the average production of 437.8 lakh tonnes during the three year period from 1997-98 to 1999-00. In case of vegetables, projected demand will have to rise by 112.14 per cent over the average production of 825.86 lakh tonnes during the three year period from 1997-98 to 1999-00. Share of fruits and vegetables in the total projected demand of horticulture and plantation crops during the year will have to be 90.81 per cent as compared to 89.6 per cent in the year 1999-00.

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