India’s horticulture production shrinks by 0.7% in 2023-24

NEW DELHI: Total horticulture production in India for 2023-24 is projected to reach 353.19 million tonnes, a slight decline of 0.65 per cent or approximately 22.94 lakh tonnes compared to the previous year’s final estimates of 355.48 million tonnes.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, despite this decrease in overall production, key horticultural sectors, such as fruits, spices, flowers, and medicinal plants, are witnessing notable growth.

The Ministry has released the Third Advance Estimates of the area and production of various horticultural crops for the 2023-24 season.
Compiled from data provided by States, Union Territories, and other governmental sources, these estimates offer crucial insights into the trends in fruit, vegetable, and plantation crop production across the country.

The area under horticultural crops has expanded to 28.98 million hectares in 2023-24, up from 28.63 million hectares in the Second Advance Estimates and 28.44 million hectares in 2022-23. However, the total production has marginally decreased from 355.48 million tonnes in 2022-23 to 353.19 million tonnes in 2023-24.

India’s fruit production is expected to increase by 2.29 per cent in 2023-24, reaching an estimated 112.73 million tonnes. The rise is driven by higher yields in crops like mango, banana, lime/lemon, grapes, and custard apple. However, production declines are anticipated in apples, sweet oranges, mandarins, guavas, litchis, pomegranates, and pineapples, reflecting a mixed outlook for the fruit sector.