Horticulture Production : Issues

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Horticulture Production Issues Challenges

• Dr. Gorakh Singh
• Horticulture Commissioner

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Indian culture is visible in its agriculture
where horticulture brings a unique multicoloured
aromatic culture

• With each passing day, value of horticulture is
  increasing by enhancing productivity,
  profitability, sustainability, nutritional
  security, employment generation, equity and
  balanced agriculture growth.

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Growth in Horticulture

• During the last decade, area increased nearly
  4.0 per annum.
• Production grew over 7.0 per annum.
• Higher growth rate in production mainly due to
  improvement in productivity, which increased by
  26 between 2001-02 and 2011-12.

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Growth in Horticulture

• Area under horticulture crops has increased from
  16.6 million ha in 2001-02 to 23.24 million ha in
  2011-12 with corresponding increase in production
  from 145.8 million tonnes to 257.28 million
  tonnes.
• During 2012-13, area production of horticulture
  crops is estimated at 23.65 million ha 265
  million tonnes, respectively.

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Prospects in horticulture

• Growth achieved in horticulture sector so far
  needs to be sustained
• Increase in demand of horticulture products due
  to growing population, increase in household
  income and growing sensitivity towards
  nutritional security.
• Enhance returns per unit of area.
• Harness existing potential for horticulture
  sector.
• To achieve this, there is need to address
  critical issues challenges.

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Major Production Related Issues

• Inadequate availability of planting material.
• High prevalence of senile orchards.
• Rainfed horticulture.
• Lower productivity.
• Insufficient trained manpower.

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Major Challenges

• Production of high yielding, disease free
  planting material of identified varieties.
• Commercialization of high density planting system
  in potential fruit crops.

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Major Challenges

• Rejuvenation and canopy management.
• Skill development on improved production systems
  management.

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Major Challenges

• Creation of water harvesting structures linking
  with water saving technologies suitable for
  horticulture crops in rainfed/ dryland areas.

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Major Challenges

• Commercialization of Greenhouse technologies for
  production of high value crops.
• Promotion of mechanization to bring efficiency in
  production systems.

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Way Forward

• Focused areas for XII Plan
• Special emphasis on establishment of mother
  blocks/ rootstock blocks with hi-tech nurseries
  tissue culture units.
• Accreditation of nurseries.
• Area expansion linked to availability of quality
  planting material.
• Covering more areas under F1 vegetable hybrids.
• Cultivation of vegetables for round the year
  production.
• Establishment of crop based centre of excellence.

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Way Forward

• Focused areas for XII Plan
• Promotion of high density/ ultra high density
  planting systems in potential crops.
• Tree canopy management right from establishment
  stage.
• Integrated approach on micro irrigation
  mulching.
• Rejuvenation of old, senile unproductive
  orchards.
• Protected cultivation of high value crops.
• Promotion of mechanization in horticulture.
• Capacity building through training
  demonstration of improved technologies.

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Issues with states

• Accreditation of nurseries-All nurseries need to
  be accredited to ensure production supply of
  quality planting material. So far only 570
  nurseries have been accredited through NHB.
• Import of planting material of improved varieties
  and rootstocks-States need to identify variety/
  rootstocks and its requirement for establishment
  of progeny blocks.
• More attention is required for procurement of
  planting material of standard qualities instead
  of tendering system.
• Protocols and standards of vegetatively
  propagated fruit plants (Already circulated) -
  More awareness is required on quality parameters
  of vegetatively propagated fruit crops.
• Concerted efforts are essential in ensuring
  timely availability of seeds.

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Issues with ICAR

• Production of nucleus seeds and planting material
  of improved varieties of horticulture crops.
• Develop varieties/ rootstocks which are tolerant
  to drought, frost, pest diseases.
• Assess water/ nutrient requirement of different
  plant densities for varied agro climatic zones.
• Develop models for tree canopy architecture for
  important fruit crops.
• Develop efficient system to identify and monitor
  pests diseases of important crops.
• Develop technologies suitable for rainfed
  horticulture.
• Develop RD website highlighting proven
  technologies.

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Thanks