Progressive Achievement of Horticultural Crops in India

Fruits, Vegetables, Flowers, Plantation crops and Spices are major Horticultural crops in India. The horticulture production is estimated as 283 million tonnes in year 2015- 16. China ranked first in fruit production with 154.364 million tonnes (MT) in 2013, followed by India (82.631 MT). The vegetable production also boosted from 165 lakh tons in year 1950-51 to 1683 lakhs tons in year 2014-15. The demand for flowers is increasing globally at approximately 10 percent per annum. The Indian floriculture industry is growing at a higher rate in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh states. India shares 0.61 percent in world floriculture industry. Plantation crops cover around 2 per cent of the total area under cultivation, but the return from the plantation crop is around Rs. 16,000 million and which contributes 12.72 per cent in the total export returns of all commodities and which is 75 per cent of total earnings from the export of agricultural produces. India is the world's largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices. India shares half in global trade of spices. India produces 75 of the 109 varieties of spices listed by ISO. So, it is necessary to identify achievement in Horticultural crops over time to get guideline for framing policies. The data are collected from the Indian Agricultural Statistic Research Institute on the Area, Productivity and Production of the Horticultural crops for the year 1991-92 to 2014-15 in the Area, Productivity and Production of the Horticultural crops in India. The results show that that the good Horticultural crop production achieved in India in last 25 years. The second decade has shown good growth as compared to first decade. The growth in the area (3.06 %), productivity (1.56%) and production (4.67 %) of the Horticultural crops in India is positive and significant. The production of the flowers achieved at the rate 11.91 per cent per annum, which is followed by vegetables (1.53 per cent). Instability Index shows that the Production of Horticultural crops in India was more unstable as compared to an Area and Productivity of Horticultural crops during the period from 1995-96 to 2014-15. Amongst the crop groups, the instability was seen more in area, productivity, production of flowers, followed by fruits and vegetables (ranges from 25 to 110 per cent). The previous years' area and productivity made a positive effect on next years' production of Horticultural crops in overall period. The effect of area of production is the highest in vegetables (22.24 thousand tons per thousand hectare of area), followed by fruits (12.73 thousand tons per thousand hectare of area). The productivity of all crops except plantation crops has shown positive contribution in production.