The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has published the Second Advance Estimates for the area and production of various horticultural crops for 2023-24.

• The estimation of the production is gathered on the basis of information received from States/ UTs and other Governmental source agencies.

What are advance estimates?

• Advance estimates are the estimates of the different sectors. 
• It is released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) for different ministries.
• It gives an idea about how an economy will perform in the upcoming financial year.
  • It is based on the economy’s performance over the first seven odd months. 
• There are four estimates 
  • 1st advance estimates 
    • It is released at the beginning of January
  • 2nd advance estimates
    • It is released in the last week of february. 
  • 3rd advance estimates
  • 4th advance estimates. 

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Significance of advance estimates

• Allocation of the budget: These estimates help the finance minister in deciding the budget allocation. 
• Performance of the economy: Advance estimates give a broader picture of the economy performance in the upcoming year. 
• Facilitate policy making: These estimates help in policy decision making for the upcoming financial year for different sectors. 

Status of 2023-24 crop production (Second Advance Estimates)  

• Overview of Horticultural Crop Production in 2023-24
  • Total Production: Estimated at approximately 352.23 million tonnes.
  • Change from Previous Year: A decrease of about 32.51 lakh tonnes (0.91%) compared to 2022-23.
• Production Trends for Specific Horticultural Crops
  Horticulture crops are Fruits, Honey, Flowers, Plantation Crops, Spices, and Aromatics & Medicinal Plants
  • Fruites Trend
    • Increased production of Banana, Lime/Lemon, Mango, Guava, Grapes.
  • Vegetables Trend 
    • Increase in production of Bottlegourd, Bittergourd, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Pumpkin, Tapioca, Carrot, Tomato.
    • Decrease in production of Onion, Potato, Brinjal, and Other Vegetables.
• Specific Crop Production Estimates
  • Onion
    • There is a possibility of a decrease from 302.08 lakh tonnes in the previous year by about 60 lakh tonnes.
  • Potato
    • Potato production is also likely to decrease from the previous year by about 34 lakh tonnes.
      • Reason: Mainly due to decreased production in Bihar and West Bengal.
  • Tomato
    • There is a chance of rise in tomato production from around 204.25 lakh tonnes in the previous year by 3.98%.

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