Over 5 lakh hectares brought under horticulture in Madhya Pradesh in 3 yrs

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh, which topped the country in the overall foodgrain production in 2011-12, has brought 5,01,980 hectares of land under horticulture in the past three years.

By this, the state has fulfilled one of the important resolves made during the special session of the Assembly in 2009, it said.

According to point 21 of resolve 2013, there was a target of bringing five lakh hectares of land under horticulture crops by 2012-13. However, the state surpassed the target by adding another 1,980 hectares under it, an official release said here today.

The area under horticulture has increased from 8,23,155 hectares in 2010-11 to 13,01,283 hectares in 2012-13.

The state has also registered two and half times increase in horticulture production in the last three years. It was 77.61 lakh tonnes in 2010-11 and it rose to 179.90 lakh tonnes in year 2012-13.

The highest growth was recorded in vegetable production, as well as the area on which it is cultivated during the period. Vegetable production increased from 36.98 lakh tonnes in 2010-11 to 108.55 lakh tonnes in year 2012-13. This represents a three time increase.

Vegetables were cultivated on over 2.83 lakh hectares of land during 2010-11, which increased to over 5.52 lakh hectares during 2012-13.

Last week, Madhya Pradesh received the Krishi Karman Award for 2011-12 for best performance under total foodgrain category 1 (states with production over 10 million tonne). The function was organised by the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation.