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Fruit production in India has seen a significant slowdown in growth over the past eight years, including in apples, bananas, mangoes, papaya, pineapple and sapota.
According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, total production of fruits in the country grew by just 17% in the eight years leading up to 2021-11, the latest for which data is available.
This represented a sharp decline compared to the 72% jump seen in production in the previous 9 years.
Worryingly, three categories of fruits actually witnessed a decline in production between 2013-14 and 2021-22, including applies, sapota and ‘others’.
On the other hand, modest growth was visible in two categories — citrus fruits, such as oranges and musambi, and grapes.
Much of the reason for the lacklustre production figures can be attributed to a decline in the area under fruit cultivation. Total area under fruit cultivation fell 2.1% between 2013-14 and 2021-22 to 69.7 lakh hectares from 71.2 lakh hectares.
The Lok Sabha Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing asked the ministry for the reason for the decline, particularly the fall in area under cultivation.
“The main reason for the decline in area of production in 2021-22 is because of diversion of cultivation to some other profitable horticulture crops,” the ministry told the committee, adding that farmers are switching away from some crops because of pests and diseases and low yield due to uncongenial climatic factors.
The changing climate has led to less productivity in some cases, the ministry said, citing the example of grape cultivation in Maharashtra.
The state used to account for 80% of the total grape cultivation in India in 2004-05 with a yield of 28.2 metric tonnes per hectare. However, the yield fell to 21.5 tonnes/ha by 2021-22.
“The reduction in productivity of grapes in Maharashtra..is the main reason for the decline in productivity of grapes in the country,” the ministry told the committee.
Another fruit that has seen a decline in productivity was papaya, which saw output decline to 39 tonne/ha in 2021-22 from 42 eight years earlier.
Overall fruit production increased to 10.29 crore tonne in 2021-22 from 8.78 tonne in 2013-14.
The biggest contributor to the increase was citrus fruits, which witnessed an increase of 27% in the last eight years.
Citrus fruits have increased their share of total fruit production in the country to 13.7% from 11.6% in 2004-05
Banana continues to be the largest contributor in the total fruit production in the country. It accounts for 31.5 % of the total production in 2021-22 which is slightly less than the 32.84 % in 2004-05.
Mango is the next big contributor with a share of 19.8%. Apple, meanwhile, remains a small contributor with 2.3% share in the total production in 2021-22. This represents a decline from the 3.4% share it used to have in 2004-05.
The total productivity of fruits has increased from 12 tonne/hectare in 2013-14 to 15 tonne/hectare in 2021-22, while for some fruits like Apples, bananas, Litchi etc. it has remained stagnant over the years. Papaya and banana tops the list with a productivity of 39 and 37 respectively. Litchi has continued to be the least productive fruit in 2021-22 with a productivity of 7.
Mango is the most widely cultivated fruit in India with an area of 23.4 lakh hectares, followed by citrus fruits which has an area of cultivation of 10.9 lakh hectares.
Fruit production in India has seen a significant slowdown in growth over the past eight years, including in apples, bananas, mangoes, papaya, pineapple and sapota.
According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, total production of fruits in the country grew by just 17% in the eight years leading up to 2021-11, the latest for which data is available.
This represented a sharp decline compared to the 72% jump seen in production in the previous 9 years.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
Worryingly, three categories of fruits actually witnessed a decline in production between 2013-14 and 2021-22, including applies, sapota and ‘others’.
On the other hand, modest growth was visible in two categories — citrus fruits, such as oranges and musambi, and grapes.
Much of the reason for the lacklustre production figures can be attributed to a decline in the area under fruit cultivation. Total area under fruit cultivation fell 2.1% between 2013-14 and 2021-22 to 69.7 lakh hectares from 71.2 lakh hectares.
The Lok Sabha Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing asked the ministry for the reason for the decline, particularly the fall in area under cultivation.
“The main reason for the decline in area of production in 2021-22 is because of diversion of cultivation to some other profitable horticulture crops,” the ministry told the committee, adding that farmers are switching away from some crops because of pests and diseases and low yield due to uncongenial climatic factors.
The changing climate has led to less productivity in some cases, the ministry said, citing the example of grape cultivation in Maharashtra.
The state used to account for 80% of the total grape cultivation in India in 2004-05 with a yield of 28.2 metric tonnes per hectare. However, the yield fell to 21.5 tonnes/ha by 2021-22.
“The reduction in productivity of grapes in Maharashtra..is the main reason for the decline in productivity of grapes in the country,” the ministry told the committee.
Another fruit that has seen a decline in productivity was papaya, which saw output decline to 39 tonne/ha in 2021-22 from 42 eight years earlier.
Overall fruit production increased to 10.29 crore tonne in 2021-22 from 8.78 tonne in 2013-14.
The biggest contributor to the increase was citrus fruits, which witnessed an increase of 27% in the last eight years.
Citrus fruits have increased their share of total fruit production in the country to 13.7% from 11.6% in 2004-05
Banana continues to be the largest contributor in the total fruit production in the country. It accounts for 31.5 % of the total production in 2021-22 which is slightly less than the 32.84 % in 2004-05.
Mango is the next big contributor with a share of 19.8%. Apple, meanwhile, remains a small contributor with 2.3% share in the total production in 2021-22. This represents a decline from the 3.4% share it used to have in 2004-05.
The total productivity of fruits has increased from 12 tonne/hectare in 2013-14 to 15 tonne/hectare in 2021-22, while for some fruits like Apples, bananas, Litchi etc. it has remained stagnant over the years. Papaya and banana tops the list with a productivity of 39 and 37 respectively. Litchi has continued to be the least productive fruit in 2021-22 with a productivity of 7.
Mango is the most widely cultivated fruit in India with an area of 23.4 lakh hectares, followed by citrus fruits which has an area of cultivation of 10.9 lakh hectares.
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