Spike in production of vegetables, fruits: Centre

The total horticulture production in 2021-22 is estimated to be 341.63 million tonnes (MT), an increase of about 7.03 MT over 2020-21, according to the second advanced estimates of area and production of various horticultural crops.

Key observations:

• The total horticulture production in 2021-22 is an increase of 2.10% over 2020-21.
• There could be an increase in production of fruits, vegetables and honey, the cultivation of spices, flowers, aromatics, medicinal plants and plantation crops could decrease over previous year.

• Fruit production: The fruits production is estimated to be 107.10 MT compared to 102.48 MT in 2020-21.
• Vegetable production: The production of vegetables is estimated to be 204.61 MT, compared to 200.45 MT in 2020-21.
  • In the case of onion, the production is estimated to be 31.70 MT against 26.64 MT in 2020-21.
  • Potato production is expected to be 53.58 MT, compared to 56.17 MT in 2020-21 and the cultivation of tomato is expected to be 20.34 MT, compared to 21.18 MT in 2020-21.

What is Horticulture?

• Horticulture, the branch of plant agriculture dealing with garden crops, generally fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants.
• The word is derived from the Latin Hortus, “garden,” and colere, “to cultivate.”
• As a general term, it covers all forms of garden management, but in ordinary use, it refers to intensive commercial production.
• In terms of scale, horticulture falls between domestic gardening and field agriculture, though all forms of cultivation naturally have close links.
• Horticulture sector has become one of the major drivers of growth as it is more remunerative than the agricultural sector.

Important government schemes promoting horticulture

• National Horticulture Mission
• Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture’ (MIDH), a centrally sponsored scheme
• National Green Mission
• National Horticulture Board (NHB)
  • It was set up in 1984 on the basis of recommendations of the "Group on Perishable Agricultural Commodities", headed by Dr M. S. Swaminathan.
  • Headquartered at
  • The objective is to improve the integrated development of the Horticulture industry and to help in coordinating, sustaining the production and processing of fruits and vegetables.