From Farms to Fortune: Horticulture Strengthening India's Agri-Economy

Under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture umbrella since 2014-15, India added 15.66 lakh ha and built 58 Centres of Excellence, 55 clusters, 55,748 post-harvest, 11,140 marketing facilities.

- TDG NETWORK

India's horticulture sector has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past decade and a half. Once considered a supplementary branch of agriculture, horticulture—derived from the Latin words hortus (garden) and cultura (to cultivate)—now plays a central role in India's food security and farmers' livelihoods. It encompasses the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, flowers, spices, aromatic plants and plantation crops, as well as the scientific management of these crops after harvest. By embracing high-value crops, integrated farming systems and targeted government initiatives, the sector has become a major contributor to rural incomes and exports.

This news explainer traces the programme's progress over the last fifteen years and earlier examines the key schemes and scientific principles driving growth, reproduces the data presented in the source document, and discusses potential challenges arising from the new United States tariffs.

From Gardens to Growth Engines: The Evolution of Horticulture

Historically, horticulture was practised mainly around homesteads for family consumption or local markets. Large-scale horticulture gained momentum in India with the launch of the Horticulture Mission for North East and Himalayan States (HMNEH) in 2001-02. Originally called the Technology Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture in the North Eastern States, the scheme aimed to cover the entire horticulture chain—from planting to consumption—with both backwards and forward linkages. The mission was extended to Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand during the Tenth Plan (2003-04). Its success demonstrated that targeted interventions could unlock the region's climatic advantages, promote high-value crops and improve farmer incomes.