Despite erratic monsoon and drought like situation in several parts of the country, production of tomato, onion and potato has been on the rise in the country. As per latest Agriculture Ministry data, India’s horticulture production is estimated to rise by 1 per cent to record 314.67 million tonne in 2018-19.
Based on the information received from different States and Union territories, the Agriculture Ministry on Wednesday released the final estimates for 2017-18 and the first advance estimates for 2018-19 of area and production of horticulture crops.
As per the final estimates of 2017-18, horticulture production stood at record 311.7 mt, 3.7 per cent higher than the previous year and 10 per cent higher than the past five years’ average production. Area under coverage rose to 25.87 million hectare from 25.43 million hectare. As per data, the onion production is estimated around 23.62 million tonne this year as against 23.26 million tonne in 2017-18. The potato production is estimated at 52.58 million tonne as against 51.31 million tonne last year. Tomato production is expected to be around 20.51 million tonne as against 19.76 million tonne last year. Currently, 25.87 million hectare is under horticulture crops in the country.
Between 2001-02 and 2016-17, India’s potato production doubled, from an estimated 24.46 million tonne (mt) to 48.61 mt. In case of tomatoes, it has tripled (from 7.46 mt to 20.71 mt), and onions quadrupled (from 5.25 mt to 22.43 mt). Also, the country’s total fruits and vegetable output of 271.09 million tonne last year almost equalled that of food grain (cereals plus pulses) at 275.68 million tonne.
Due to record production of horticulture crops, prices of onion, tomato and potato are under control across the country. Sources in the Ministry said the record production will help the Government to keep vegetables and fruits prices under control in the election year. But the record productions of tomato, potato and onion has brought relief to the common man but it has hit hard to the farmers as they failed to get their cost of the produce.
At the retail market, onion, potato and tomato is being sold at `10-15 a kg due to higher productions across the country. At some places in Madhya Pradesh and Punjab, farmers thrown potato on the roads as the whole sale price reduced to `1 a kg. The data shows, vegetables output pegged at 187474000 million tonne as it is sown on 10436000 hectare. Fruit is estimated to be sown at 65,30000 hectare and its output is pegged at 96,754000 million tonne in 2018-19.
Among the fruits, mango output is pegged higher at 22,353000 million tonne in the current year on higher yields as against 21,822000 million tonne previous years.
In a related development, the Agriculture Ministry has stepped up efforts to roll out some new measures. It includes setting up 24 clusters for tomatoes, onions and potatoes (TOP) and initiating an exercise to have an exclusive “trade map” for these three high priority produce. The idea behind the move is to enhance value realisation of these perishable horticultural produce by farmers. It will happen through targeted interventions and linking the farmers with both domestic and international markets.
According to IMD, there was 9 per cent deficient rainfall this year. The Government is meanwhile working on various proposals to extend financial help to farmers. Such proposals include waiving off interest for farmers who repay crop loans on time to providing income support for meeting input costs and lowering premium of existing crop insurance schemes.