Horticulture output to touch 300 million tonnes in 2016-17: Govt

India's horticulture crops production is expected to touch an all-time high of 300 million tonnes during 2016-17.

According to the third advance estimates released by the Agriculture Ministry, the harvest of horticulture output that includes fruits, vegetables, spices and plantation crops is expected to touch 299.85 million tonnes, which is 4.8% more than the previous year's production.

On the back of a good monsoon, the area under cultivation of horticulture crops also increased by 2.6% to 25.1 million hectares in 2016-17 from 24.5 million hectares in the previous year.

The horticulture output is also more than the country's overall foodgrain production which is pegged 275.68 million tonnes in the 2016-17 crop year that ended in June.

According to the estimates, fruit production during the current year is estimated to be a record 93.7 million tonnes which is about 3.9% higher than the previous year, while the output of vegetables is pegged at 176 million tonnes which is 4.2% higher than the previous year.

Production of onions is estimated at 21.7 million tonnes, an increase of 3.8% over the previous year. The major onion producing States are Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat.

The ministry also expected a record potato production at 48.2 million tonnes in the current year which is 11.1% higher than the 43.4 million tonnes of the previous year.

Major Potato growing States are Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab.

During the current year, tomato production is estimated to be around 19.5 million tonnes which is 4.3% higher than the previous year. The major tomato growing States are Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha and Gujarat etc.

Plantation crops – areca nut, cashew-nut, cocoa and coconut – output is estimated to be a record 18.3 million tonnes, up 10.2% higher than the previous year.

“Production of spices is estimated to be around 8.2 million tonnes which is 17.4% higher than the previous year,” an official statement said.