Horticulture Sector in India- Significance and Challenges- Explained Pointwise

Horticulture sector in India has been identified as a sunrise sector by the government of India. The recently launched Clean Plant Programme (CPP), by the government of India, aims to increase the yield and productivity of horticulture crops in India. The focus of the Indian diet, shifting from mere calorie security to a nutrition-secure mindset, has also led to the growth of horticultural sector in India.

However, despite the significance of the horticulture sector, there are key challenges in the realization of full potential of the sector. In this article, we will also look at the government initiatives for addressing these challenges.

What is Horticulture? What is the status of Horticulture sector in India?

Horticulture- Horticulture is the art and science of cultivation of various fruits, vegetables, spices condiments, ornamental, plantation, medicinal and aromatic plants. It also involves the study of plant physiology, genetics, propagation, and the management of plants and their environment to maximize their growth and health.

Branches of Horticultural activities- Horticulture has various branches such as floriculture (science of growing flowers), olericulture (science of growing vegetables), pomology (science of growing fruits).

Status of Horticulture in India- The diverse agro-climatic conditions and rich diversity in crops and genetic resources enable India to produce a wide range of horticultural crops round the year. India produces a tropical fruit like mango and sub-tropical fruit like apple at the same season in a year.

a. Second-Largest producer- India is the second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world after China. India ranks first in the production of number of crops like Banana, Lime & Lemon, Papaya, Okra.

b. Contribution to agriculture GVA- Indian horticulture sector contributes about 33% to the agriculture Gross Value Added (GVA) while using only 13.1% of the gross cropped area.

c. Increase in area under cultivation and production- From 2013-14 to 2023-24, the area under horticulture crops has risen from 24 million hectares to 28.63 million hectares. The production during the same period has increased from 277.4 million metric tonnes (MT) to 352 million metric tonnes (MT).

d. Higher production and productivity than food grains- The horticultural crops have higher production and productivity as compared to food grains.

e. Major exporter and importer of fruits- India is also a major importer and exporter of fresh fruits. In the financial year 2023-24, India exported fresh fruits worth $1.15 billion, while it imported fruits worth $2.73 billion.

What is the significance of Horticulture Sector in India?

1. Farm produce diversification- The adoption of horticulture promotes crop diversification which has multiple benefits such as soil conservation, promotion of resilient agriculture and organic farming. The horticultural crops like cashew, arecanut are cash rich crops, which also enhance farmer’s income.

2. Employment Generation- The horticulture sector is labour intensive in nature and provides significant livelihood opportunities across various stages of production, processing, and marketing. According to research, one hectare of fruit production generates 860 man-days per annum, as against 143 man-days in cereal crops.

3. Combatting malnutrition- The increase in the production and consumption of fruits and vegetables helps in combatting the challenge of malnutrition and chronic hunger. For ex- Increased affordability of green leafy vegetables would help in combatting iron deficiency in women.

4. Diversification of export basket- Horticultural crops diversifies export basket and creates better opportunities for agriculture trade and expands markets for Indian produce.

5. Growth of food processing industry- The horticultural crops have high potential for value addition. They create forward and backward linkages and support the food processing industry. For ex- Processing of plantation crops like tea, coffee; supports the growth of food processing industry.

6. Resilience and better productivity- The Horticulture crops need relatively less water than food crops and are more resilient to climate change.

7. Push to Agri-Inputs Sector- Increase in horticulture production also unlocks immense potential for the agri-inputs sector that comprises seeds, agrochemicals, and fertilisers.

What are the Challenges to the Growth of Horticultural sector in India?

1. Pests and Diseases- Horticultural crops in India are often destroyed due to pest, fungal infection and bacterial blights. For ex- Blight fungus destroying potato exports, bacterial blights affecting pomegranate orchards.

2. Fragmented landholdings and low irrigation coverage- These result in lack of economies of scale of production, leading to higher production costs and reduced price competitiveness.

3. Staggering post harvest losses- Horticulture sector in India witnesses high post-harvest losses with 30- 35% of the fruits and vegetables perishing at various stages like harvesting, storage, grading, transport, packaging, and distribution. Only 2% of these crops are processed in to value added products.

4. Lack of adequate infrastructure- The horticulture sector in India lacks adequate post harvest and marketing infrastructure like Processing units, packaging and grading facilities, cold storage facility, refrigerated transport vehicles/ containers, storage and phytosanitary facilities.

5. Dominance of Small scale low capacity food processing units- The Indian horticultural crops processing units are dominated by small scale units with installed processing capacity of 50 tons to 250 tons a year. In comparison, the MNCs food processing capacity is 05 to 30 tons per hour.
This results in low Indian export of horticultural produce as compared to other horticulturally rich countries like China, Brazil, USA, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Iran, Philippines, Turkey, and Thailand.

6. Marketing and Export Barriers- Small farmers lack scale for proper marketing of their produce. They rely on selling them in local haats or the arhatiyas. Further, these crops face tariffs and non-tariff barriers in the form of sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures.

What Government initiatives have been taken for Horticulture sector in India?

 What should be the Way Forward?

1. Improvement of seed varieties- The focus must be on agronomic and genetic seed innovations to enhance shelf life and improve access to quality Fruits and Vegetable produce in the country. Development of High quality seeds can help in the extension of geographical footprint for cultivation.

2. 1.0 Hectare Model of Integrated Farming- This cluster-based, whole-farm approach includes multiple interventions such as solar-powered farming equipment, water conservation practices, diversified cropping integrated with livestock, village cluster creation for produce aggregation and exports. The adoption of this model can improve the horticulture potential of the country.

3. Multi-stakeholder Partnerships- Partnerships among farmers, government, customers, industry, and academia/research need to be strengthened to achieve the required growth in the horticulture sector in India. For ex- Use of Corporate Social Responsibility grants  for horticultural research.

4. Promoting Horticultural Export Growth through ODOP- One District One product should be leveraged to scale up the horticultural produce and its processing. For ex- Production and processing of Litchi (Bihar), strawberries (Bundelkhand) and kiwis (Uttarakhand).

5. Technological Advancements- Digital and technology advancements and increased focus on bio-based and sustainable solutions can solve the challenges of horticulture value chains. For ex- Employment of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and Internet of Things in horticulture.