Horticulture is the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants. Horticulture is a capital and labour intensive agriculture. India has a diverse agro-climate that is ideal for growing a wide range of horticultural crops such as fruits, vegetables, spices, root tuber, ornamental, aromatic plants, medicinal species, and plantation crops such as coconut, arecanut, cashew, and cocoa. The Indian horticulture sector accounts for approximately 33% of agricultural GVA, making a significant contribution to the Indian economy. In this article, we will discuss Horticulture Crops in India which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

What are Horticulture Crops?

• Horticulture crops, such as fruits, are more resistant to weather changes, and vegetables supplement the income of small and marginal farmers.
• Water usage is very low, lowering the risk of crop failure, and it is feasible on smaller farms.
• Multiple crops are planted at the same time to maximise yield and use of fertilisers.

Horticulture in India

• India is currently producing approximately 320.48 million tonnes of horticulture produce, which has surpassed food grain production, albeit on a much smaller scale (25.66 million Ha. for horticulture against 127.6 M. ha. for food grains).
• Horticulture crop productivity is much higher than food grain productivity (12.49 tones/ha vs. 2.23 tones/ha).
• India has risen as a world leader in the production of a variety of fruits such as mango, banana, guava, papaya, sapota, pomegranate, lime, and aonla.
• India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world.
• Furthermore, India has retained its dominance in the production of spices, coconut, and cashew nuts.
• Among the new crops successfully introduced for commercial cultivation in the country are kiwi, gherkins, kinnow, date palm, and oil palm.
• The launch of the National Horticulture Mission has increased horticultural crop production and productivity.
• Horticultural crop productivity increased by about 38% between 2004-05 and 2019-20.
• Fresh fruit and vegetable exports increased by 14% in value, while processed fruits and vegetables increased by 16.27%.
• Horticulture crops currently account for approximately 10% of the country's gross cropped area, yielding approximately 160 million tonnes.
• The total fruit production from 5.7 million hectares has been estimated to be around 63 million tonnes.
• Vegetables cover 7.8 million hectares and produce 125 million tonnes.
• India's share of global fruit and vegetable production is 12.6 percent and 14.0 percent, respectively.
• As it is more profitable than agriculture, the horticulture sector has emerged as a major driver of growth (food grains mainly).
• This industry provides employment opportunities in the primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors.
• This industry enables people to eat a diverse and balanced diet in order to live a healthy lifestyle.
• It has become a key driver of economic development in many of the states where the Division of Horticulture of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research plays an important role.

Classification of Horticulture

• Pomology: It is the study of the planting, harvesting, storing, processing, and marketing of fruit and nut crops.
• Olericulture: It is the production and marketing of vegetables.
• Arboriculture: It is the study, selection, and care of individual trees, shrubs, or other perennial woody plants.
• Ornamental Horticulture is divided into two sections:
  • Floriculture - It is the cultivation, use, and marketing of floral crops.
  • Landscape Horticulture - It is the cultivation and marketing of plants used to enhance the beauty of the outdoor environment.

Horticulture Crops Produced in India

Orange

• Orange or Mandarin orange grows successfully in tropical and subtropical areas, primarily under rain-fed conditions, in Coorg, Wynaad tract, Palani hills, and the Nilgiris in the south between elevations of 600 and 1,500 m.
• Orange can be grown in a variety of soils, but the ideal soil is medium or light loam with a slightly heavier subsoil.
• Heavy black soil with murrain and good drainage is also suitable.
• The land is properly terraced in the hills and humid regions where planting is typically done on steep slopes. The land should be levelled in the plains where the trees must be irrigated.
• Oranges are grown in Assam, Nagpur, Punjab, Wynaad, Coorg, Palani hills, and the Nilgiris.

Mango

• Mango accounts for nearly half of the country's total fruit area. The mango tree grows throughout the country, from sea level to about 1,500 metres.
• It is adaptable to a wide range of soil and climatic conditions. It can withstand both drought and heavy rainfall.
• Mangos are native to monsoon lands and prefer climates with 75-250 cm of rainfall concentrated from June to September and mean shade temperatures of about 28°C.
• Mango production in India is concentrated in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, among other states.
• Chausa, Safeda, Langra, Dasheri from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Alphonso from Maharashtra and Goa, Banganapally from Andhra Pradesh, Totapari and Kesar from Gujarat, Rumani and Neelam from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are among the important varieties grown.

Grapes

• As a subtropical fruit, it thrives in dry climates with short, sharp winters and long, dry summers. They do not thrive in areas with humid summers.
• Grape grows best in light, friable, loamy soils with good drainage. Heavy soils are not suitable.

Different varieties are grown in various regions.

• In the northern plains, common varieties include Black Prince, Bedana, Foster's seedling, Khandhari Dakh, Muscat of Alexandria, and Perlette.
• In dry and temperate regions, Thompson seedless, Sultana, and Kishmish white.
• In South India, Bangalore blue, Pachadraksha, Gulabi, Black Champa, and Thompson seedless are grown.
• In western India, Cheema Sahebi, Anab-e-Shahi, and Thompson seed.
• Grapes are grown primarily in Punjab, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.

Banana

• This moisture and heat loving plant comes in two varieties: table and culinary.
  • Poovan in Chennai (also known as Karpura Chakkarekeli in Andhra Pradesh); Mortaman, Champa, and Amritsagar in West Bengal; Champa and Mortaman in Assam and Orissa; and Safed Velchi, Lai Velchi, and Rajeli in Maharashtra are among the former.
  • Nandran,Monthan, Myndoli, and Pacha Montha Bathis are among the culinary.
• Bananas are primarily grown in tropical areas where temperatures do not fall below 16 degrees Celsius and rainfall does not fall below 150 cm.
• The peninsular coastal plains and irrigated tracts provide an ideal climate for banana cultivation.
• The plant thrives in rich, well-drained soil with plenty of moisture and humus.
• The three states that produce the most are Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.

Guava

• Guava is a tough tree that can withstand extreme heat and drought. A mild winter encourages abundant fruiting.
• The total guava area is approximately 30,000 hectares, with Uttar Pradesh having the most, followed by Bihar.

Pineapple

• A humid tropical plant that thrives in both the plains and at elevations no higher than 900 metres.
• It grows in all soil types but cannot withstand extremely high temperatures or frost.
• Pineapple production is primarily concentrated in Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Karnataka.

Cashew

• This crop is grown primarily in peninsular India for both its fruits and its nuts, primarily for the latter.
• The Portuguese introduced cashew plantations to India in the 16th century. However, the first seeds were brought from Brazil.
• Cashew cannot withstand hot summers or cold winters. It requires a moderately high temperature of around 20°C and rainfall ranging from 50 to 400 cm.
• It does not have very specific soil requirements, as it can grow in very gravelly soils. However, adequate soil moisture is required for the success of a cashew plantation.
• The fruits ripen from March to May, but the season is extended in years with heavy rainfall in November and December.
• Cashew is commonly grown along the coasts of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra.
• Plantations can be found along the east coasts of Tamil Nadu, Orissa, West Bengal, and Pondicherry. Tripura also grows cashews.

Mushrooms

• Mushroom production has skyrocketed in recent years.
• Mushrooms produce a large amount of high-quality protein from agricultural waste. It is high in lysine (an amino acid deficient in cereals).
• The white button mushroom is the most common variety in India.
• Oyster mushrooms are now being grown in Central and Southern India, while paddy straw mushrooms are being grown in Orissa and Kerala.
• Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh were producing mushrooms until 1980 (the white button variety being a temperate variety).
• Now, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, and many other states have begun production with the introduction of new varieties.

Vegetables

• They are an important part of the human diet all over the world. As a result, the level of vegetable production in a country has a significant impact on that country's nutritional status.
• The fact that most vegetables are short-duration crops is a plus for vegetable cultivation.
• As a result, they can be grown in succession on the same plot, and all of the vegetable grower's family labour can be put to good use throughout the year.
• More than fifty varieties of vegetables are grown on an area of approximately four million hectares in India.
• The country's major vegetable crops include potato, onion, peas, cauliflower, tomato, brinjal, okra, cabbage, and cucurbits.

Significance of Horticulture Crops

• Apart from ensuring the nation's nutritional security, it provides alternative rural employment opportunities, diversification of farm activities, and increased income to farmers.
• Produce more biomass per unit area than field crops, resulting in more efficient use of natural resources.
• They are highly profitable for replacing subsistence farming and alleviating poverty in a variety of agro-ecosystems such as rainfed, dryland, hilly, arid, and coastal.
• Wastelands have the potential to be improved through planned strategies.
• Water requirements are lower than those of many other field crops.
• Increase employment opportunities.
• They are critical for nutritional security.
• They are environmentally friendly.
• Have a high potential for adding value.
• Have a high potential for earning foreign currency.
• Increase the contribution to GDP.

Challenges Related to Horticulture Crops

• There is scarcity of disease-free, high-quality planting material.
• Techniques for micro-propagation are underutilised.
• Slow spread and adaptability of high-yielding cultivars/hybrids.
• Inadequate facility for diagnosing nutrient deficiencies and disorders.
• There is no disease and pest outbreak forecasting service.
• Inadequate availability of highly refined intensive integrated production systems
• Quality standards are lacking.
• In terms of value addition, there is a scarcity of technologies.
• Inadequate post-harvest technology and infrastructure.
• Inadequate database and market intelligence.
• Inadequate marketing and infrastructure.
• Price insecurity, with no price support mechanism.
• Inadequate technical manpower/human resources in the agricultural system.
• Inadequate credit supply, high interest rates, and an insufficient crop insurance scheme.
• Ineffective technology transfer and poor adoption of improved techniques.
• There is a lack of communication between research and development sectors, industries, and farming communities.
• Government policies and schemes are being implemented late.
• There is no horticultural crop suitability map of India based on agro-climatic conditions depicting the most suitable areas for optimum crop productivity.
• Increased demand for horticultural produce due to increased health awareness, rising income, export demands, and increasing population presents a challenge for increasing horticultural crop production and productivity.
• Climate change has increased uncertainties and risks, putting additional constraints on production systems.

Horticulture vs. Agriculture

• Horticulture differs from agriculture in two ways.
  • For starters, it generally involves a smaller scale of cultivation, employing small plots of mixed crops rather than large fields of single crops.
  • Second, horticultural cultivations generally include a wide range of crops, including fruit trees and ground crops.
• From 2012-13 to 2017-18, the horticulture sector in India grew faster than the agriculture sector.

Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)

• The Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme that began on April 1, 2014, to promote the holistic growth of the horticulture sector, which includes fruits, vegetables, root and tuber crops, mushrooms, spices, flowers, aromatic plants, coconut, cashew, cocoa, and bamboo.
• While the Government of India (GOI) contributes 60% of total outlay for developmental programmes in all states except the North East and Himalayas, where the GOI contributes 90%.
• In the case of Union Territories, the central government contributes 100% of the funds.
• It has five major horticulture schemes-
• National Horticulture Mission (NHM)
• Horticulture Mission for North Eastern and Himalayan States (HMNEH)
• National Horticulture Board (NHB)
• Coconut Development Board (CDB)
• Central Institute of Horticulture (CIH), Nagaland

Conclusion

Diversification in the agricultural sector, particularly in the horticulture sector, has become a major source of positive growth for both the sector and the nation. It has emerged as a promising source of income acceleration, job creation, poverty alleviation, and export promotion. India can become a much larger producer and exporter if sufficient emphasis is placed on resource allocation, infrastructure development, R&D, technological advancement, and a better policy framework for the horticulture sector. As an organised industry, the horticulture sector with strong forward and backward links can stimulate and sustain growth.

FAQs

MCQs

1. What are horticulture crops primarily grown for?

A) Animal feed
B) Industrial use
C) Food and ornamental purposes
D) Fuel production

2. Which of the following is NOT considered a horticulture crop?

A) Wheat
B) Tomato
C) Orchid
D) Spinach

3. What is a major challenge faced by the horticulture sector in India?

A) High profitability
B) Pest and disease management
C) Abundant water supply
D) Low market demand

4. Which government initiative aims to enhance horticulture production?

A) Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi
B) National Horticulture Mission
C) Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
D) Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana

5. Which crop category includes plants like jute and cotton?

A) Food crops
B) Cash crops
C) Horticulture crops
D) Industrial crops

GS Mains Questions and Model Answers

Q1: Analyze the significance of horticulture crops in enhancing food security in India.

Answer: Horticulture crops play a crucial role in enhancing food security in India by diversifying agricultural production and improving nutritional standards. As horticultural crops include a wide range of fruits and vegetables, they contribute essential vitamins and minerals to the diet, addressing malnutrition and promoting public health. The cultivation of horticulture crops is often more profitable than traditional staple crops, providing farmers with additional income and encouraging investment in sustainable farming practices. Moreover, the seasonal nature of horticultural production allows for a continuous supply of fresh produce, which helps stabilize prices and availability in local markets. Thus, horticulture is integral to achieving food security and improving the livelihoods of rural populations in India.

Q2: Discuss the challenges and opportunities in the horticulture sector in India.

Answer: The horticulture sector in India faces several challenges, including pest management, market volatility, and inadequate infrastructure for storage and transportation. These challenges can lead to significant post-harvest losses and affect the income stability of farmers. However, there are also numerous opportunities for growth in this sector. The increasing demand for organic produce, value-added products, and export potential presents avenues for farmers to enhance their income. The government and private sector can play a pivotal role in providing training, resources, and access to technology, enabling farmers to adopt best practices in horticultural production. By addressing the challenges and leveraging opportunities, the horticulture sector can contribute significantly to economic development and food security in India.

Q3: Evaluate the role of government policies in promoting horticultural development in India.

Answer: Government policies play a vital role in promoting horticultural development in India by providing the necessary support and infrastructure for farmers. Initiatives such as the National Horticulture Mission aim to enhance production through financial assistance, research and development, and market access for horticultural products. Policies focusing on irrigation, technology transfer, and sustainable farming practices help improve crop yields and quality. Furthermore, the government’s emphasis on export promotion and value addition in the horticulture sector can open up new markets for Indian farmers. By creating a conducive environment for horticultural development, government policies contribute to increasing farmer income, enhancing food security, and fostering rural development.

Previous Year Questions on Horticulture Crops

1. UPSC CSE Prelims 2021:

Question: Which of the following is classified as a horticulture crop?

A) Wheat
B) Banana
C) Barley
D) Rice

Answer: (B)

Explanation: Banana is classified as a horticulture crop, cultivated primarily for consumption, while wheat, barley, and rice are cereal crops.

2. UPSC CSE Mains 2019 (GS Paper 1):

Question: "Examine the importance of horticulture crops in India's agriculture and economy." Discuss the challenges faced by the sector.

Answer: Horticulture crops are vital to India's agriculture and economy, contributing to food security, nutritional diversity, and income generation for farmers. The sector provides higher returns compared to traditional crops, promoting rural livelihoods and economic growth. However, it also faces challenges such as pest management, market fluctuations, and inadequate infrastructure for storage and distribution. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated efforts from the government, research institutions, and farmers to enhance productivity and sustainability in the horticulture sector.