Spike in production of vegetables, fruits: Centre

Context

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.

About

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.

As per the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), India is the 2nd largest producer of fruits and vegetables, behind China.
Other leading producer of fruits are Brazil, the US and Turkey, whereas leading producers of vegetables include Vietnam, US, and Turkey.

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.

Production share

In fiscal year 2021, Uttar Pradesh produced the largest share of horticultural crops in India, accounting for 13 percent.
West Bengal came in second at over ten percent.
Main export items: onions, mango pulp, fresh mangoes, dried walnuts and fresh grapes.

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.

Indian Institute of Horticultural Research

The Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) is an autonomous organization acting as a nodal agency for basic, strategic, anticipatory and applied research on various aspects of horticulture such as fruits, vegetable, ornamental, medicinal and aromatic plants and mushrooms in India.
The institute has its headquarters in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India and is a subsidiary of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, under the Ministry of Agriculture, India.