Fruits and Vegetables

Introduction

The fruit and vegetable processing industry in India is highly decentralized having wide capacities. The diverse agro- climatic zones make it possible to grow almost all varieties of fresh fruits and green vegetables in India. India is the second largest producer of fresh vegetables in the world (ranks next to China) and accounts for about 15% of the world’s production of vegetables.

Production area

Vegetables are typically grown in India in field conditions, the concept is opposed to the cultivation of vegetables in green houses as practiced in developed countries for high yields. The fruits and vegetables sconsidered important by the horticulture board of India are mostly grown in the areas of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, hilly regions of North Uttar Pradesh,Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Tripura, West Bengal and Orissa.

Growth promotional activities

Since liberalization and withdrawal of excise duty on fruit and vegetable products there has been significant rise in the growth rate of the industry Out of 370 million tons of fruit production in the world, India accounts for 30 million tons. No industrial license is required for setting up F & V P industries, setting-up 100% EOUs require specific Govt. approvals. Many subsidies, irrigation plans, loans, pre and post harvesting schemes led to the following figures of production.

Fruit & vegetable	Total production M. T	India's production status
Mango	10 million tons	World's largest producer
Banana	7 million tons	World's largest producer
Pineapple	12.6% of world production	World's 4th largest producer
Oranges	6.3% of world production	World's 5th largest producer
Grapes	-	World record in productivity
Onion	-	World's 2nd largest producer
Cauliflower		World's 3rd largest producer

Of the 456 million tons of vegetable produced in the world, India’s share is 59 million tons. All taken together, India’s share of the world’s vegetable market is 17 per cent. Presently, the horticultural crops covers 13.6 million hectares, i.e. roughly 7 per cent of the gross cropped area and contributes 18-20 per cent of the gross value of India’s agricultural output.

Vegetable & Fruit Types

According to national horticulture board the main fruits and vegetables grown in India are Apple, Banana, Lime / Lemon, Mosambi, Orange (Mandarin), Grapes, Mango, Papaya, Brinjal, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Okra, Onion, Peas, Potato and Tomato. In case of vegetables, potato, tomato, onion, cabbage and cauliflower account for around 60% of the total vegetable production in the country.