India’s government aims to increase the country’s horticultural output by 46 per cent in the next two years, the Minister of State for Food and Agriculture KV Thomas told India’s lower house late last week.
“The government has envisaged to increase the production of horticultural crops, which include fruits and vegetables, to 300m tonnes by the end of the year 2011/12,” Mr Thomas said in a written reply.
He said India’s fruit and vegetable production stood at 205.37m tonnes for the 2009/10 season, reported FnB News, a rise of 4 per cent on the previous season’s 197.54m tonnes.
The announcement is part of a greater movement in India to boost agricultural production. Indian president Pratibha Patil called in January for a ‘second green revolution’ in the country to meet rising demand and ensure food security.
“I call for urgent steps towards a second Green Revolution,” she said. “There should be use of new technologies, better seeds, improved farming practices, effective water management, as well as more intense framework for connecting the farmer with the scientific community, with lending institutions and with markets.”
