Assess the role of National Horticulture Mission (NHM) in boosting the production, productivity and income…

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Assess the role of National Horticulture Mission (NHM) in boosting the production, productivity and income of horticulture farms. How far has it succeeded in increasing the income of farmers?

Ghissu Editorial · Accepted Answer

The National Horticulture Mission lifted horticulture production through planting material, protected cultivation and post-harvest support, but raised farmers' incomes only partially because of yield lag, post-harvest losses and price crashes. Output rose from 280.70 million tonnes in 2013-14 to 362.08 million tonnes in 2024-25.

**Introduction**

The National Horticulture Mission (2005-06), merged into MIDH in 2014-15, pushed horticulture through a cluster-based, end-to-end approach. Output has overtaken foodgrains, but incomes have lagged.

**NHM's Role in Production and Productivity**

SKETCH: flow | NHM's End-to-End Value Chain
- Quality planting material
- Area expansion
- Protected cultivation
- Post-harvest infrastructure
- Market linkage

1. **Yield at the root**: Nurseries, tissue culture and rejuvenation of senile orchards replaced low-yielding stock.
2. **High-tech farming**: Polyhouses, drip irrigation and Indo-Israel Centres of Excellence such as Gharaunda spread high-value cultivation.
3. **Output over yield**: Production rose from 280.70 million tonnes (2013-14) to 362.08 million tonnes (2024-25), but fruit yields rose only from 14.17 to 15.80 tonnes per hectare (2014-15 to 2023-24).

**How Far NHM Has Raised Farmers' Incomes**

1. **Value per hectare**: Fruits and vegetables earn several times more per hectare than cereals, so diversifying growers, like Nashik's grape farmers, gained clearly.
2. **Post-harvest leakage**: ICAR-CIPHET (2015) estimated losses of 6.7-15.9% for fruits and 4.6-12.4% for vegetables, eroding gains before produce reaches a buyer.
3. **Price crashes and scale bias**: Nashik's 2018 onion crash and potato-dominated cold storage show that gains reach those with storage, not the 86% who are small and marginal.

**Way Forward**

1. **FPOs and cold chains**: Route support through the 10,000 FPO scheme (2020) and build cluster cold chains with the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.
2. **Yield over area**: Scale the Clean Plant Programme (2024) so growth comes from productivity.

**Conclusion**

NHM has largely boosted production but only partially raised incomes. FPOs, clean planting material and cold chains can turn horticulture into the engine of doubling farmers' income.

Assess the role of National Horticulture Mission (NHM) in boosting the production, productivity and income of horticulture farms. How far has it succeeded in increasing the income of farmers?

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