Horticulture output seen at record 300 mn tonnes

The per-hectare yield of horticulture crops has also been more than that of foodgrain

Horticulture production for the 2016-17 crop year is now estimated to be a record 300 million tonnes, according to the third advanced estimate released on Thursday. This is almost 4.8 per cent higher than last year’s and 1.58 per cent more than the second estimate released in February. 

The record harvest has put horticulture output ahead of foodgrain production for a fifth year. Foodgrain production was estimated at around 276 million tonnes, according to the fourth estimate released earlier his month. 

The area under horticulture crops rose 2.6 per cent to 25.1 million hectares in 2016-17 against the previous year. From 2004-05