Area and Production of Different Fruit Crops
Fruit have a great demand in the international market. Therefore, they are one of the potential earners of foreign exchange. As per the estimates, of 1991- 92, the total area under fruit crops in India is 3.20 million hectares with an annual production of 32.07 million tones and an average yield of 9.7 tons per hectares. The important fruits grown on commercial scale in India are mango, banana, citrus, guava, grape, pineapple, papaya, Sapota, litchi, and apple.
To achieve these of free target of 45 million tones of fruit per year by 2000 A.D. either the area the area under the fruits has be increased to 4.62 million hectares from the present 3.29 million hectares or the productivity level of fruit has to be increased to 13.4 tons per hectare from the present 9.7 tons per hectare or both area and productivity have to be increased.
As per FAO estimates, in 1990 India emerged s the second largest producer o fruits in the world after Brazil with a production estimate of 27.88 million tones which accounts for roughly and per cent of the world production.
The important fruits grown in India and their percentage share are as follows:
Percentage Share of Important Fruit Crops of India:
Fruit | Share in total area (%) | Share in total production (%) | Production in 1990 (000 MTS) |
Mango | 40-43 | 34 | 95000 |
Banana | 10- 12 | 22 | 6200 |
Citrus | 9-10 | 9 | 2424 |
Apple | 6-7 | 3.5 | 978 |
Guava | 6-7 | – | N.A |
Pineapple | 2-3 | 2 | 602 |
Grape | 0.5-1 | 1 | 303 |
Statewide figure indicate that U.P accounts 5.943 lakh hectares under fruits which comes to 24 percent of the total area under fruits in India (1981-82) followed by Assam and Bihar fruits with 3.95 percent of the total area.
Estimated Area of Fruit India and Maharashtra:
Crop | India (Lakh ha) | % of the total area | Maharashtra (1989-90) (ha) |
Mango | 10.015 | 40.27 | 18038 |
Banana | 3.120 | 12.54 | 31852 |
Citrus | 2.307 | 9.28 | 36888 |
Grapes | 0.114 | o.46 | 14709 |
Apples | 1.537 | 6.18 | – |
Pineapple | 0.835 | 3.36 | – |
Sapota | – | – | 2424 |
Pomegranate | – | – | 6424 |
Other fruits | 5.433 | 21.84 | – |
Productivity of Fruits – (Productivity: Tones/ ha)
Sr. No | Crops | World | Brazil | China | India |
1 | Apple | 11.01 | 26.56 | 9.52 | 4.80 |
2 | Banana | 15.24 | 12.70 | 22.44 | 30.50 |
3 | Grapes | 8.09 | 15.43 | 10.27 | 24.50 |
4 | Mangoes | 7.38 | 12.61 | 11.42 | 6.40 |
5 | Papaya | 16.61 | 44.44 | 30.47 | 35.10 |
6 | Pineapple | 18.39 | 26.19 | 21.19 | 15.30 |
Plantation crops assumes a greater important in Indian horticulture. It is a rich source of national income. It has a wide important in export and can fetch a high amount of foreign exchange which is the present need of our nation.
The per capita production in the country in the today is on 50 gm of coffee, 812 gm of tea and 308 gm cashew annually and per capita consumption (excluding export ) is 67 gm coffee, 44.5 ta and 188 gm cashew.
Our achievements in increase the productivity and production of these crops over the last 25 years, the production of rubber has increased 25% coffee, 50% and tea by 20 %.