The agriculture Ministry’s latest data shows production of onion, potato and tomato having fallen marginally in the 2017-18 crop year ending June 30.
As per the Ministry’s third advance estimate, onion output is likely to be around 22 million tonnes (MT) during the reported period, lower than 22.4 MT in 2016-17. Similarly, potato production is estimated to remain flat at 48.5 MT as against 48.6 MT in 2016-17, while tomato output is projected at 19.4 MT as against 20.7 MT earlier. The horticulture production is estimated at 306.81 MT in 2017-18 as against 300.64 MT in 2016-17, an increase of 2.05 percent.
Farmers could not translate the impressive production into increasing their income. Price volatility continues to be a major risk for horticulture farmers due to poor processing and cold chain facilities. They had infact faced the problem of plenty in absence of adequate cold chain and processing faciliites. Over the past year, farmers in several states including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana dumped their harvest of tomato, onion and potato crops as wholesale prices plunged lower than production and transport costs.
Traders said West Bengal, Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Nagaland, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra have also reported decline in potato cultivation this year. According to officials, decline in production of onion, potato and tomato may increase the prices in the coming days.
However, the overall production of vegetables is estimated to be higher by one per cent to 179.7 MT over the previous year, the data showed. In case of fruits, the output is projected at 97 MT, higher by 4.5 per cent from the previous year. Among fruits, mango output is pegged higher at 20.7 million tonnes in the current year on higher yields as against 19.5 million tonnes in the last year.
Banana output is, however, expected to drop slightly to 30.2 million tonnes in 2017-18 from 30.47 million tonnes previous year. In case of spices, the total output is pegged at 8.16 million tonnes this year as against 8.12 million tonnes last year. Papaya production is also estimated 6181000 million tonnes this year.
The third advance estimate for horticulture crops has been prepared on the basis of information received from state departments and agencies like Directorate of Areca nut and Spices Development (DASD), Directorate of Cashew & Cocoa Development (DCCD) and National Bee Board (NBB).