junior science refresher Published this article page no 41 It is a science and art of production utilisation and improvement of fruits vegetables flowers and other plants for human food nonfood uses and social needs. L.H. Bailey is considered the Father of American Horticulture and M.H. Marigowda is considered the Father of Indian Horticulture. Significance Diverse agroclimatic conditions in India ensure the production of all types of fresh fruits vegetables and medicinal plants. Horticulture crops perform a vital role in the Indian economy by generating employment providing raw material to various food processing industries and higher farm profitability due to higher production and export earnings from foreign exchange. The comparative production per unit area of horticultural crops is higher than field crops. Such crops are of high value labour intensive and generate employment throughout the year. It has gained prominence over contributing a growing share in Gross Value Addition of agriculture. They have national and international demand and are a good source of foreign exchange. It is imperative to cater to the countrys estimated demand of 650 MT of fruits and vegetables by the year 2050. Data Analysis 1. India is the secondlargest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world after China. 2. Horticultural crops constitute a significant portion of the total agricultural produce in India. They cover a wide cultivation area and contribute about 28 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). 3. These crops account for 37 per cent of the total exports of agricultural commodities from India. 4. During the year 201920 the country recorded its highest ever horticulture production of 320.77 million tonnes from an area of 25.66 million hectares. Challenges Faces high postharvest loss and gaps in postharvest management due to less or limited input by machinery and equipment. Lack of supply chain infrastructures like cold storage and wellconnected transport networks junior science refresher buy.
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