Onion production likely to be more than last year, potato lesser

India’s potato and tomato production could be marginally less in 2021-22 as compared to the previous year while onion output could be almost 17 per cent more than last year.

This was stated in the first advance estimate of horticulture production released on Monday.

The government also said total horticulture production is estimated to be at 333.3 million tonnes, a slight decrease of about 1.35 million tonnes (mt)?(or 0.4 per cent) over 2020-21.

Overall, vegetable production in the current year is expected to be around 199.88 million tonnes.

This is slightly less than the 200.44 million tonnes last year.

Fruit production in 2021-22 is expected to be around 102.92 mt, which is more than 102.48 mt of 2020-21.

At 333.33 mt, India’s overall horticulture production will be significantly higher than the food grains output once again.

Foodgrains production has been pegged at 316.06 million tonnes in 2021-22, according to the second advance estimate.

According to the latest publication by NITI Aayog called ‘Indian Agriculture in 2030,’ over the last decade, the horticulture sector — comprising fruits and vegetables, spices and floriculture — has contributed significantly to agricultural growth.

“Horticultural production has now overtaken food grains output.

"According to many experts, this has been made possible largely because of the National Horticulture Mission (2004–05), which ushered in the Golden Revolution, making India the second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables globally, next only to China,” the book said.

The first estimate said that production of fruits is expected to rise in 2021-22 as compared to the previous year.

Output of vegetables, spices, flowers, aromatics and medicinal plants and plantation crops is expected to be less than the previous year.

In spices, production of ginger is expected to be around 22.19 million tonnes in 2021-22, slightly less than the 22.25 million tonnes of last year.

Garlic production is projected at 32.08 million tonnes, which is more than the 31.80 million tonnes of last year.