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HORTICULTURE

Horticulture is a branch of agriculture relating to the cultivation of fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants. Horticulture is a capital and labour intensive agriculture. India is bestowed with varied agro-climates, which is highly favourable for growing large number of horticultural crops such as fruits, vegetables, spices, root tuber, ornamental, aromatic, plants, medicinal species and plantation crops like coconut, arecanut, cashew and cocoa. Presently, horticulture crops occupy about 10 per cent of the gross cropped area of the country, producing about 160 million tonnes. India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables. The total production of fruits has been estimated at about 63 million tonnes from 5.7 million hectares. Vegetables occupy an area of 7.8 million hectares with a production of 125 million tonnes (India 2009, p. 183). India’s share in world fruit and vegetable production is 10 per cent and about 13.25 per cent respectively.