Horticulture development in India: An alternative evaluation

Abstract

The present study analyses the changing trend of cropping pattern in India since 1991. It reveals that there is shift towards horticultural crops over time. Further, the economic alternative for agricultural crops and horticulture has been worked out, which shows a positive inclination in favour of horticultural crops. The average annual growth has also been found quite high for fruits and vegetables both in terms of area under cultivation and production. Regarding the cost benefit analysis, the study reveals that for the Indian farmer, shifting towards the horticulture is a good deal as returns are more than double to their respective cost.