Fruits and vegetables output below last year’s record; horticulture crop seen at 355.2 MT in 2023-24

India’s production of horticultural crops consisting of fruits, vegetables, spices, medicinal plants and plantation crops in the 2023-24 crop year (July-June) is projected at 355.2 million tonne (MT), marginally lower than previous year’s record of 355.4 MT..

According to the first advance estimate of production of horticultural crops for the current year by the agriculture ministry on Thursday, the output of fruits – banana, orange and mango is estimated to increase by 2% to 112 MT.

The vegetable output is expected to decline marginally to 209 MT current year compared to 2022-23. Area under the horticultural crops in the current year is projected to increase to a record 28.77 million hectare (MH), a marginal increase from the previous year.

Onion production is projected to fall by 16% to 25.47 MT in the current crop year compared to 2022-23 due to a decrease of 3.43 MT in Maharashtra, the biggest producer of the staple vegetable.

Onion output is also estimated to fall in other producing states – Karnataka (0.99 MT), Andhra Pradesh (0.35 MT) and 0.31 MT (Rajasthan) attributed to unseasonal rains and patchy monsoon rainfall.

To curb the spike in domestic prices of onion, the government in December last year had banned shipment of key vegetables and recently allowed shipment of around 50,000 tonne of onion to Bangladesh on request from the neighbouring country.

Potato output is estimated to decline by 2% to 58.99 MT in 2023-24 crop year because of the decrease in output in West Bengal. Tomato output is estimated to increase marginally to 20.81 MT in the current crop year compared to the previous year.

The horticultural crop output in the 2022-23 crop year was estimated at a record 355.4 MT, a rise of around 2.3% from the previous year.

Area coverage under the horticulture crops has increased marginally to 28.34 million hectares in 2022-23 crop year from 28.04 million tonnes in the previous year, according to agriculture ministry data.

The horticultural crops production continues to be higher than the foodgrain production. India’s output of rice, wheat, pulses and coarse cereals in 2022-23 crop year was estimated at a record 329. 6 MT. In the current crop year, the foodgrians production target is set at 332 MT.

According to an official note, the horticulture sector contributes about 33% to the agriculture gross value added (GVA) making a significant contribution to the economy.

The note has stated that increase in demand for horticultural produce due to greater health awareness, rising income, export demands and increasing population poses the challenge for further increasing the production and productivity of horticultural crops. “The issue of climate change has thrown up greater uncertainties and risks, further imposing constraints on production systems,” according to the note.