With the country’s horticultural production surpassing that of foodgrains, the Centre is trying to explore export avenues by preparing a global trade map for Indian horticultural produce.
“In a situation where exchange rates are higher, the benefit of horticultural exports would go to all the stakeholders right from farmers to transporters, value adders, packers and those operating cold storage units,” says Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s Deputy Director-General (Horticultural Sciences) Dr. Anand Kumar Singh.
Speaking to The Hindu after inaugurating a three-day national horticultural fair organised by the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research at its Hessarghatta campus on Wednesday, Dr. Singh said the global trade map would indicate commodity-wise potential in different countries for Indian horticultural produce.
Citing an example, he said data showed that potato seeds were in greater demand than potato in several countries. “We have already commenced export of potato seeds,” he said, adding that 10,000 tonnes of seeds had been exported so far to Russia and Holland during this financial year. This was in tune with the Centre’s plan to double farmers’ incomes by 2022, he said.
He said as per estimates from the Ministry of Agriculture, horticultural production was around 306 million tonnes. However, though the quantum of production was increasing, there was a need to focus on quality, he said. “We need to maintain improved quality if we have to cater to the global market,” he added.
ICAR was asking agricultural extension wings to transfer ‘knowledge’ to farmers rather than merely transfer technologies.
The increase in horticultural production, according to Dr. Singh, would go a long way in fighting malnutrition, particularly among children and pregnant women. It would not only increase incomes of farmers, but would also create more employment, he said, while pointing out that the horticultural sector employs five to six-fold more manpower than that of cereals.
Though horticultural crops account for only 14% of land in terms of coverage, they contribute 28% to the GDP, he said.