Introduction

Horticulture, encompassing the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, spices, ornamental plants, and medicinal herbs, has emerged as a key driver in India’s agricultural landscape. Identified as a sunrise sector by the Government of India, horticulture is increasingly recognized for its role in promoting nutritional security, enhancing farmers’ incomes, and contributing significantly to the country’s agricultural Gross Value Added (GVA). However, despite its importance, the sector faces several challenges that must be addressed to fully realize its potential.

What is Horticulture?

• Horticulture is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, spices, and medicinal plants. It involves the study of plant physiology, genetics, propagation, and the management of plants to maximize their growth, health, and productivity.

The sector is divided into several branches:

• Floriculture: The science of growing flowers, Olericulture: The science of growing vegetables, Pomology: The science of growing fruits.

Status of the Horticulture Sector in India

• India’s diverse agro-climatic conditions and rich genetic resources allow the country to produce a wide variety of horticultural crops throughout the year.
• India is the second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables globally, after China, and ranks first in the production of crops like bananas, papayas, and okra.
• The horticulture sector contributes approximately 33% to India’s agricultural GVA while utilizing only 13.1% of the gross cropped area.
• Over the past decade, the area under horticulture has expanded from 24 million hectares to 28.63 million hectares, with production increasing from 277.4 million metric tonnes (MT) to 352 million MT.
• Horticultural crops also exhibit higher production and productivity compared to food grains.
• Additionally, India is both a major exporter and importer of fresh fruits, exporting fruits worth $1.15 billion and importing $2.73 billion worth in the financial year 2023-24.

Significance of the Horticulture Sector in India

1. Farm Produce Diversification: Horticulture promotes crop diversification, which benefits soil conservation, resilient agriculture, and organic farming. Cash-rich crops like cashew and arecanut also enhance farmers’ incomes.
2. Employment Generation: The sector is labor-intensive, providing significant employment opportunities at various stages of production, processing, and marketing. For example, one hectare of fruit production generates 860 man-days per annum, compared to just 143 man-days for cereal crops.
3. Combatting Malnutrition: Increased production and consumption of fruits and vegetables help address malnutrition and chronic hunger. For instance, affordable green leafy vegetables can combat iron deficiency in women.
4. Diversification of Export Basket: Horticultural crops diversify India’s export basket, creating better opportunities for agricultural trade and expanding markets for Indian produce.
5. Growth of the Food Processing Industry: Horticultural crops offer high potential for value addition, supporting the growth of the food processing industry through forward and backward linkages. For example, the processing of plantation crops like tea and coffee drives industry growth.
6. Resilience and Better Productivity: Horticultural crops require less water than food crops and are more resilient to climate change.
7. Push to the Agri-Inputs Sector: Increased horticultural production unlocks significant potential for the agri-inputs sector, including seeds, agrochemicals, and fertilizers.

Challenges Facing the Horticulture Sector

1. Pests and Diseases: Horticultural crops are vulnerable to pests, fungal infections, and bacterial blights, leading to significant losses. For example, blight fungus affects potato exports, and bacterial blights damage pomegranate orchards.
2. Fragmented Landholdings and Low Irrigation Coverage: Fragmented landholdings and limited irrigation reduce economies of scale, leading to higher production costs and reduced price competitiveness.
3. Staggering Post-Harvest Losses: The sector experiences high post-harvest losses, with 30-35% of fruits and vegetables perishing at various stages such as harvesting, storage, and transport. Only 2% of these crops are processed into value-added products.
4. Lack of Adequate Infrastructure: The sector lacks sufficient post-harvest and marketing infrastructure, including processing units, packaging facilities, cold storage, refrigerated transport, and phytosanitary facilities.
5. Dominance of Small-Scale Food Processing Units: Small-scale processing units dominate the Indian horticultural sector, with installed capacities significantly lower than multinational corporations. This limits India’s export potential compared to other horticulturally rich countries.
6. Marketing and Export Barriers: Small farmers often lack the scale for effective marketing and rely on local markets or intermediaries. Horticultural crops also face tariffs and non-tariff barriers, including sanitary and phytosanitary measures.

Government Initiatives to Address Challenges

The Indian government has launched several initiatives to address these challenges and promote the growth of the horticulture sector:

1. Clean Plant Programme (CPP): This program aims to increase the yield and productivity of horticultural crops through improved plant health and disease management.
2. One District One Product (ODOP): The ODOP scheme promotes the production and processing of unique horticultural products in specific districts, enhancing export potential and market access.
3. 1.0 Hectare Model of Integrated Farming: This cluster-based approach integrates diversified cropping with livestock, water conservation, and solar-powered farming equipment to enhance productivity and sustainability.
4. Technological Advancements: The government is promoting the use of digital technologies, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the Internet of Things to address challenges in the horticulture value chain.
5. Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships: Strengthening partnerships between farmers, government, industry, and academia is crucial for the sector’s growth. For example, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) grants can be leveraged for horticultural research.

Way Forward

To fully realize the potential of the horticulture sector, India must focus on improving seed varieties, promoting the 1.0 Hectare Model of Integrated Farming, and leveraging technological advancements. Additionally, strengthening multi-stakeholder partnerships and enhancing export growth through the ODOP scheme will be essential.

By addressing the challenges and building on the sector’s strengths, India can transform its horticulture sector into a global leader, contributing to the nation’s nutritional security, economic growth, and agricultural resilience.