Livestock, fishing see highest decadal gross value of output growth

Livestock, fishing and aquaculture saw the highest increase in gross value of output (GVO) in the decade ending 2020-21 (2011-12 to 2020-21). On the other hand, the share of the crop sector dropped from 62.4 per cent to 54.9 per cent in the total GVO during the same period, a recent report by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation (MoSPI) showed.

The report once again reiterates the growing importance of the livestock and fishing sector in India’s agriculture mix. Interestingly, this sector is dominated by private players and has little or no government intervention.

It also showed that in FY21 the share of GVA (gross value added) of agriculture and allied activities — at 20.3 per cent — was the highest in a decade to the country’s total GVA. That could be due to Covid, when other sectors fared poorly. The report, meanwhile, also said that within the crop sector, too, fruits and vegetables account for the highest share of GVO, followed by cereals.

“As a group, the GVO of cereals, at Rs 3.36 trillion, was the highest among all crop groups in 2011-12. However, in 2020-21, the GVO of ‘fruits and vegetables’ was Rs 3.95 trillion,” the report said.

State-wise, Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest output of cereals in all the years (2011-12 to 2020-21), said the report. But its share in all-India output marginally fell from 18.6 per cent in 2011-12 to 18.3 per cent in 2020-21.

The share of Madhya Pradesh in cereals GVO has gone up considerably from 6.2 per cent in 2011-12 to 8.9 per cent in 2020-21. In fruits and vegetables, the report showed that West Bengal reported the highest output in fruits and vegetables in all these years (2011-12 to 2020-21). 

However, its share in all-India output reduced from 13.9 per cent in 2011-12 to 11.7 per cent in 2020-21. On the other hand, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh increased their output during this period to claim the second and fifth spots in 2020-21.

The total share of Tamil Nadu and Gujarat in all-India output has reduced in 2020-21 compared to 2011-12, the report showed.

“During 2011-12 to 2020-21, there has been a steady growth in the real output of ‘fruits and vegetables’. 

It has increased from around Rs 2.87 trillion in 2011-12 to nearly Rs 3.9 trillion during 2020-21 at constant (2011-12) prices,” the report said.

The ‘fruits and vegetables’ group comprises fruits, vegetables and floriculture. Among the fruits, output was the highest for mangoes, followed by bananas. Together, it accounted for more than a fifth of the output of the entire group. 

Among the vegetables, potato and tomato together saw the highest production, accounting for about 14 per cent of the group, the report said.