Horticulture's problem of plenty

Blame lies with market inefficiencies and faulty policies

At a time when there is considerable farm unrest in the country, there is a paradigm shift happening in Indian agriculture in the shape of a horticulture revolution. Latest data from the ministry reveals that the production of horticultural crops in 2016-17 outstripped foodgrain output for the fifth year in a row. The fact that the record horticultural harvest of 295 million tonnes has been gathered from just one-fifth of the area under foodgrain is a significant aspect. It is also noteworthy that this surge has come about without the kind of government support and funding that triggered the cereals-based