Context

• Recently, the Government informed Parliament about the progress made in the Horticulture Sector and provided Data for the same.

About the News

• National Horticulture Mission, a sub-scheme of Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) is being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare since 2014 for the holistic development of horticulture in the country.
• Since the inception of MIDH scheme i.e. from 2014-15 to July, 2025 (as on date), an additional area of 15.66 Lakhs hectare has been covered under horticulture crops.
• All horticulture crops irrespective of their varieties are covered under MIDH scheme.

Other Components 

• During the last five years, a total of 55748 Post Harvest Management infrastructures including Cold storage/C.A. storage, Pack houses, Ripening chamber, Reefer vehicles, Primary / Mobile/ Minimal processing unit, preservation unit and Food processing etc. have been setup.
• A total of 11140 marketing infrastructures including Static/mobile vending cart/platform, retail outlets, Rural and primary markets/ Apni Mandi/Direct markets, wholesale and terminal markets etc. have been setup under MIDH scheme. 

About National Horticulture Mission

• National Horticulture Mission(NHM) which launched in 2005-06 as the National Horticulture Board, is centrally sponsored scheme to promote complete growth and development in the horticulture sector at India.
• It has primarily focused on increasing production and productivity of various horticultural crops like fruit, vegetables, spices, flowers, medicinal plants, and plantation crops.
• The mission emphasizes adoption of modern technology, improvement of post-harvest management, and establishment of marketing systems that minimize wastage and ensure fair prices to farmers.
• It also provides capacity-building programs, development of nurseries, and establishing infrastructures for cold storage, packaging, and processing. By promoting cluster-based development with improved planting materials, the mission aims to improve domestic consumption and exports.

Features of National Horticulture Mission

The National Horticulture Mission is a central undertaking that pays a significant dollar on the comprehensive development of horticulture in India. Below are some salient features of the mission:

• Promotion of horticultural crops: It is the intensification promotion of fruits, vegetables, flowers, spices, medicinal plants, and aromatic plants with a view to diversifying agriculture for income generation among farmers.
• Areas and Productivity Extension: It involves adopting high-yielding varieties, improved planting material, and modern cultivation techniques so as to expand the area under horticulture and enhance productivity.
• Post-Harvest Management and Value Addition: It supports infrastructure establishment like cold storage, pack houses, and processing units to minimize post-harvest losses and improve the value chain of horticultural produce.
• Capacity Building and Human Resource Development: Training and skill development programs include induction for farmers, entrepreneurs, and field workers to adopt best practices and modern technologies.
• Technology Promotion: It also provides the performance of micro-irrigation, protection cultivation, integrated pest management, and organic farming, which is a great contribution toward the sustainability and efficiency of the horticultural practice.
• Market Support Development: Facilities to create marketing infrastructures are given for wholesale markets, rural markets, and e-marketing platforms for better price realization for farmers.
• Cluster-Based Development: Under this, all programs are area-specific crops encouraging an efficient use of resources and thinking to develop a targeted approach.
• Financial Assistance: The mission will give financial assistance and subsidies to the farmers and entrepreneurs for different components of horticulture development.

Objectives of the Mission

• Promote Horticulture: The mission aims to promote the holistic growth of the horticulture sector, including bamboo and coconut, through regionally differentiated strategies, including research, technology promotion, extension, post-harvest management, processing, and marketing.
• Encourage Farmer Associations: To bring about economies of scale and encourage farmers to join farmer groups such as Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).
• Enhance Income:  Increase the output of horticulture, increase farmers’ incomes, and improve nutritional security.
• Boost Farm Output: Increase output through the use of high-quality seed, planting material, and water-saving microirrigation techniques.
• Skill Development: Encourage young people in rural areas to develop their skills and find work in horticulture and post-harvest management, particularly in the cold chain industry.

Status of Horticulture In India

• Contribution GDP: The horticulture sector constituting 18% of the area, contributes about 33% of the gross value to the agricultural GDP significantly boosting the Indian economy.
• The sector is being considered as a driver of economic growth and is gradually turning into an organized industry linked to seed trading, value addition, and exports.
• Employment: Horticulture provides rural employment, diversifies farm activities, and enhances farmers’ income.
• High Production: India is currently producing about 320.48 million tones of horticulture produce which has surpassed the food grain production, that too from a much less area (25.66 million Ha. for horticulture against 127.6 M. ha. for food grains)
• High productivity: Horticulture crops have high productivity compared to food grains of Kharif and Rabi Crops (12.49 tones/ha against 2.23 tones/ha.)
• Improved India’s Position: India became the world leader in producing various fruits like mango, banana, guava, papaya etc, vegetables, spices, coconut, and cashew nuts.

Way Forward

• With advanced technological interventions, strengthening cold chain infrastructure, and popularizing value-added products as pivots, the National Horticulture Mission shall extend into new fields. Development of market linkages, promotion of exports, and development of climate-resilient farming will ensure sustainable development. Training and financial backing to farmers will augment their productivity and income further, thus increasing the competitiveness of Indian horticulture on the world stage.