Dr. Ashok S Alur
Introduction:
India remains home to the largest number of undernourished people in the world (217 million-17.5%
of its population) as of 2012. Hunger and malnutrition are, to a large extent, two sides of the same coin. According to UNICEF report about 48% of the children in India are malnourished. In the light of this focus, access to food has shifted from food security to nutrition security. This has pushed horticulture to take the driver seat in feeding the population with nutritious food. The horticultural crops are rich in essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals and can reduce the magnitude of malnourishment. The shifts in consumption patterns along with diversification, nutrition and safe food will determine the growth rates for horticulture. The shift in consumption pattern towards fruits and vegetables are expected to bring about increase in demand. To meet the growing demand, there will be pressure on supply of horticultural crops.
Horticulture scenario
Horticulture area in Karnataka has increased from 10 lakh hectares(1984) to 18.36 lakh ( 2012-13). A
disaggregated picture reveals the highest growth in area was observed for flowers followed by vegetables and fruits. The state occupies 3rd position in respect of area under horticultural crops in India. Of the total cultivable area of 125.63 lakh ha in the state during 2012, the area under horticulture accounts for about 18.36 lakh hectares accounting for 14.60% of the total cultivable area contributing to 4.8 % production at all India level and 17 % to the GDP of the State (GoI, 2012).
On the production front, the supply of horticulture commodities increased from 98 lakh tons during 2000 to 163 lakh tons during 2013-14 an increase of 63%. These achievements are through concerted and thoughtful efforts of research, technological, policy initiatives and inputs to make horticulture a sustainable and viable venture for the small and marginal farmers as the sector is an important source of livelihood for as many as 12 lakh farming households in the state.
Dr. D. L. Maheswar
Institutional support for horticulture development:
In recognition of the growing significance, the state has made significant efforts to modernize horticulture sector by establishing various institutions and planning innovative interventions and policy initiatives. Karnataka has a separate department for horticulture, an exclusive horticulture university, ten horticultural colleges, 15 horticulture research stations and 12 horticultural
extension education and several training centres. The state also has the presence of ICAR institutions
that are engaged in horticulture research and development. Implementation of Schemes of National
Horticultural Mission, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, National Medicinal Plant Mission etc have encouraged cultivation of horticulture crops. In-spite of several support mechanisms the horticulture sector is dodged with constraints which need to be tackled to meet the increasing demand. The following important challenges are to be addressed on priority.
Low productivity:
In the view of shrinking land, research emphasis has to be on increasing productivity. Karnataka has made significant progress in release of improved varieties of fruits and vegetables. The productivity levels of some of the fruits like mango, papaya, guava, sapota, pomegranate and vegetables like tomato, onion and brinjal are at higher level relative to National average. However there is ample scope for enhancing productivity levels by breeding trait specific varieties suitable for different needs and different agro-climatic conditions, biotic and abiotic stress etc.
Shrinking resource base & technologies to boost production:
The per capita availability of land has reduced from 0.64 hectare in 1971 to 0.29 hectare in 2012. The average land holding has reduced from 1.33 ha in 2000-01 to 1.16 ha during 2010-11, in India. Use of marginal lands, imbalanced fertilization, deteriorating oil health, diversion of agricultural land tononagricultural uses, misuse of irrigation water, depleting aquifers, salinization, water-logging are some of the factors associated with dwindling resource base. An advanced Land Resource Inventorization based land use planning is being attempted in Karnataka to address the resource
management.
Disease and Pest management:
Diseases such as panama wilt in banana, pepper wilt, bacterial disease in pomegranate, blight of potato, guava wilt are endemic and are challenges to realize the productivity gains. Due to indiscriminate use of plant protection chemicals has resulted in development of resistance in pests. Lack of foolproof quarantine measures is likely to further aggravate the threat of new pests and diseases. Promotion of integrated pest management practices are to be popularized.
Post-harvest processing:
The last two decades have seen significant changes in consumption habits. Urbanization, diversification of diets, and growth of the middle-class have increased demand for ready to use (RTU) food products. The value of the market for processed food in India is growing at 25 % per annum, and will reach $ 330 billion by 2015. Given the scenario, both processing and marketing of
the products are still unorganized and inefficient. The post-harvest loss are still very high at 18-20% of the production. Several other bottlenecks such as low-cost improved technologies suited for processing, unavailability of diversified product of consumers choice, lack of processing units, neutraceuticals products, avenues for technology commercialization, infrastructural bottlenecks such as cold storage, roads and several others. With increase in purchasing power, consumers are becoming more health and quality conscious. It is imperative to produce quality and safe horticulture
produce in Karnataka.
Emerging horti-business and weak institutional mechanisms:
Traditional marketing system which was highly regulated opened up owing to changing system and emerging agribusiness. Integrating small farmers into the demanddriven supply chain through appropriate institutions and policies which are inclusive would be a challenge. The emerging agri-business is to provide ample opportunities and also throwing challenge of competing globally. The critical issue for the future of the state horticulture is to evolve mechanisms for linking front-end activities of horticultural supply-chain through producer companies, direct marketing and contract farming. On the exports of horticultural produce from the state, it is dominated only by fresh onions and a few fresh vegetables beyond which the state has not capitalised exports. There is a potential to climb up in this sector through developing products catering to the export market. Value addition
of horticulture produce is one other important area where the state can play a pivotal role in addressing the challenges that exists in value addition. Appropriate market linkages have led to price fluctuations and instability. Karnataka has taken a strong market policy and practice to support horticulture farmers.
Opportunities in Horticulture:
Karnataka is bestowed with wide range of agro-climatic conditions providing opportunity to grow variety of temperate, tropical, sub-tropical, arid and semi-arid horticultural crops. Recommendations on augmenting productivity through adoption of improved management practices are important. About 70 % of cultivated area is dry land conditions. Cultivation of perennial horticulture crops, precision horticulture, micro-irrigation, integrated farming models for dry land horticulture, organic farming, identifying locations and crops suitable for drylands, nutrient management, bio-economic modeling, high density plantingare some of the opportunities that exist to be exploited for resource conservation. On post-harvest processing and value addition, creating awareness on post-harvest processing (primary processing) at farm level, building entrepreneurial ability and small business opportunities in horticulture sector can create enormous employment opportunities and raise standard of living in rural areas. Infrastructure bottlenecks are to be removed through facilities such as cold storages, heavy post-harvest and handling losses and PPP initiatives in horticulture.
Emerging business:
Opportunities exist for developing new institutional arrangements which aid producers selling directly to consumers to realize better prices and reduce price volatility. Options have to be explored promoting emerging horti business through direct marketing, setting up of producer companies, avenues for contract farming, building robust price forecast models, supply & demand estimations of horticultural crops, identifying niche areas that generate high export revenues and export promotion mechanisms. In the context of the factors discussed above, there is a need to develop strategies, policies and roadway for development of horticulture in Karnataka by meeting the challenges to take the state to newer heights in the paradigm of horticulture development.
India Submits Proposal on Trade Pact inServices to WTO:
Nirmala Sitharaman India has submitted a proposal at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to start discussions on trade facilitation agreement in services. The proposal aims at liberalizing rules for movement of professionals and other steps to reduce transaction costs to boost growth of the services
sector. "Today we have submitted the legally vetted paper in Geneva," Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters here. She said that the special committee of the global
trade body WTO will discuss the proposal in March. India is pitching for this trade facilitation agreement in services as the sector contributes over 60 per cent to the GDP and 28 per cent to total employment. The move is aimed at developing a broader framework governing global services trade, just like a TFA on goods. A TFA in services would focus on issues like liberalised visa regime, long-term visas for business community and freer movement of professionals for the greater benefit of both India and the world, among others. The WTO's trade facilitation agreement on goods has come into effect from yesterday with its twothirds members ratifying the pact
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