Horticulture
The horticulture sector in India has emerged as a vibrant and high-growth segment within agriculture. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables etc. Horticulture is not only a source of food and nutrition but also a driver of income and employment, especially for small and marginal farmers.
- India is the second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world, next only to China, contributing significantly to the global horticultural output.
- The horticulture sector accounts for about 25–30% of agricultural GDP, despite covering a much smaller proportion of the total cropped area.
- It plays a key role in:
- Enhancing land productivity through intensive and high-value farming.
- Providing nutritional security by supplying essential vitamins and minerals.
- Creating rural employment, especially for women and youth.
- Boosting exports through products like mangoes, bananas, grapes, spices, and floriculture.
- Empowering farmer-entrepreneurs through value addition, agro-processing, and direct market linkages.
The government’s focused interventions under missions like the National Horticulture Mission (NHM) and MIDH (Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture) have further strengthened this sector.
In the next sections, we will explore the key horticultural crops, production trends, and state-wise contributions to understand why this sector is being called the “future of Indian agriculture.”
