Horticulture, essentially a branch of plant agriculture, deals with the cultivation of garden crops, including fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants. Recently, through a meeting spearheaded by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, focus was renewed on strengthening horticulture in India via the implementation of the Horticulture Cluster Development Programme (CDP).
Understanding the Horticulture Cluster Development Programme
The Horticulture CDP is a central sector programme designed to bolster and develop identified horticulture clusters, aiming to boost their global competitiveness. A horticulture cluster refers to a regional or geographical concentration of targeted horticulture crops. The programme’s implementation falls under the purview of the National Horticulture Board (NHB) within the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
The states to be included in this initiative range from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Manipur, amongst others, collectively forming a list of 55 clusters centred around specific crops. The pilot phase saw the programme executed in 12 clusters spanning 11 States/UTs.
Objectives of the Horticulture Cluster Development Programme
The CDP has the principal aim of elevating exports of targeted crops by about 20%, while also creating cluster-specific brands to amplify the competitiveness of these crops. The programme seeks to address all significant issues linked to the Indian horticulture sector, which includes pre-production, production, post-harvest management, and marketing, thereby leveraging geographical specialization and prompting integrated development of horticulture clusters.
Significance of the Cluster Development Programme
The CDP holds immense potential to revolutionize the entire horticulture ecosystem by ensuring last-mile connectivity through efficient and timely evacuation and transportation of horticulture produce via multimodal transport, thus enhancing the flow of investment into the horticulture sector.
Status of the Horticulture Sector in India
India takes pride in standing as the second-largest producer of horticulture crops globally. Nationwide, it leads in the production of specific fruits such as Mango, Banana, Pomegranate, Sapota, Acid Lime and Aonla. In the 2021-22 period, the top states in horticulture production were Uttar Pradesh followed by Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal. Furthermore, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh were the leading states in fruit production, with the total area under horticulture crops increasing to 27.74 million hectares.
Government Initiatives for Horticulture
The Government of India has launched several initiatives to promote the growth of the horticulture sector. One of the key initiatives is the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH). It is a centrally sponsored scheme aimed at the holistic development of the horticulture sector, including fruits, vegetables, and other areas.
Under MIDH, the government provides 60% of the total outlay for developmental programmes in all states, excluding North Eastern and Himalayan states where they contribute 90%. The remaining funds are contributed by State governments. The mission covers five major schemes on horticulture: National Horticulture Mission (NHM), Horticulture Mission for North East and Himalayan States (HMNEH), National Horticulture Board (NHB), Coconut Development Board, and Central Institute of Horticulture, Nagaland.
These programs have significantly improved productivity and income of horticulture farms, playing an important role in boosting farmer incomes across the country.
