The Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has issued the Third Advance Estimates for 2023-24, detailing the area and production of various horticultural crops. These estimates, based on data from states, union territories, and government agencies, illustrate both growth and declines across different crop categories. They provide critical insights that can help policymakers and farmers fine-tune their strategies for the upcoming agricultural seasons.
India’s total horticulture production is projected to experience a slight decrease of 0.65% compared to the final estimates of 2022-23, amounting to a reduction of approximately 22.94 lakh tonnes. Despite this decline in production, the area dedicated to horticulture cultivation has increased, expanding from 28.44 million hectares in 2022-23 to 28.98 million hectares in 2023-24.
The production of fruits in 2023-24 is projected to increase by 2.29% compared to 2022-23, reaching 112.73 million tonnes. This growth is primarily attributed to higher production levels of mango, banana, lime/lemon, grapes, custard apple, and various other fruits. Conversely, a decline in production is anticipated for apple, sweet orange, mandarin, guava, litchi, pomegranate, and pineapple compared to the previous year.
Vegetable production is expected to be around 205.80 million tonnes, with increases anticipated in the production of tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, tapioca, bottle gourd, pumpkin, carrot, cucumber, bitter gourd, parwal, and okra. However, decreases are expected for potato, onion, brinjal, elephant foot yam, capsicum, and other vegetables.
Onion production is estimated to reach 242.44 lakh tonnes in 2023-24, while potato production is projected at approximately 570.49 lakh tonnes, according to the Third Advance Estimates. The expected decline in potato output is primarily due to reduced production reported in Bihar and West Bengal.