Total horticulture production in India for the 2023-24 period is estimated at 353.19 million tonnes, marking a decrease of 0.65 percent or roughly 22.94 lakh tonnes from the previous year's 355.48 million tonnes, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Despite a slight contraction in overall horticulture output, sectors such as fruits, spices, flowers, and medicinal plants are experiencing growth.
The Ministry's Third Advance Estimates for the 2023-24 season, drawn from data across States, Union Territories, and various government entities, reveal changes in the cultivation and yield of horticultural crops. The area dedicated to these crops has increased to 28.98 million hectares, up from 28.44 million hectares in the previous year, although total production has seen a slight decrease.
Fruit production in India is set to rise by 2.29 percent to 112.73 million tonnes in the 2023-24 period, fueled by higher yields in mango, banana, lime/lemon, grapes, and custard apple. Conversely, a decline is anticipated in the production of apples, sweet oranges, mandarins, guavas, litchis, pomegranates, and pineapples, indicating a varied performance across the fruit sector.
Source: The Sunday Guardian