Horticulture of Himachal Pradesh
Horticulture is the science and art of growing – fruits, vegetables, flowers, and any other cultivar. It also includes plant conservation, landscape restoration, soil management, landscape and garden design, construction, maintenance, and arboriculture.
India is likely to record highest ever production of horticulture produce, including fruits and vegetables, in 2016-17. The total production is estimated at 295 million tonnes which is 3.2 % higher than the production in 2015-16. The estimate shows that the current year will be the fifth straight year when horticulture production in the country will outstrip the production of food-grains.
According to the union ministry’s estimates, based on information provided by the states and Union Territories, the fruits production during the current year is estimated to be 93 million tonnes which is 2.9% higher than the previous year whereas production of vegetables is estimated to be around 175 million tonnes which is 3.5% higher than the production in 2015-16.
Another positive for horticulture is that fruits and vegetables are mostly grown by marginal and small farmers (with less than 2 hectare of land). This means that resource-poor farmers are likely to have benefitted most from the growth in horticulture sector. More so, because the value of the horticulture output grew more than double compared with all other crops put together in the four years between 2008-09 and 2012-13. Fruits and vegetables are grown in less than 5% of the country’s gross cropped area, compared to over 63% of the area used to grow foodgrains.
Status of Horticulture of Himachal Pradesh
The rich diversity of agro- climatic conditions, topographical variations and altitudinal differences coupled with fertile, deep and well drained soils favour the cultivation of temperate to sub-tropical fruits in Himachal. The region is also suitable for cultivation of ancillary horticultural produce like flowers, mushroom, honey and hops. 
This suitability of Himachal has resulted in shifting of land use pattern from agriculture to fruit crops in the past few decades. The area under fruits, which was 792 hectares in 1950-51 with total production of 1,200 tonnes increased to 2,26,799 hectares during 2015-16. The total fruit production in 2015-16 was 9.29 lakh tonnes, which during 2016-17 (upto December,2016) has been reported as 5.10 lakh tones. During 2016-17, it was envisaged to bring 3,000 hectares of additional area under fruit plants against which 2,816.72 hectares of area was brought under plantations and 7.53 lakh fruit plants of different species.
Nuts and dry fruits exhibit area increase from 231 hectares in 1960-61 to 10,491 hectares in 2015- 16, Citrus and other sub tropical fruits have increased from 1,225 hectares and 623 hectares in 1960-61 to 24,063 hectares and 53,658 hectares in 2015-16, respectively.
Apple is the most important fruit crop of Himachal Pradesh, which constitutes about 49 percent of the total area under fruit crops and about 84 percent of the total fruit production. Area under apple has increased from 400 hectares in 1950-51 to 3,025 hectares in 1960-61 and 1,10,679 hectares in 2015-16. The advent of WTO, GATT and liberalisation of economy is further imposing many challenges on the dominance of apple in fruit industry of Himachal Pradesh. The fluctuations in the production of apple during last few years have attracted the attention of the Government.
Nuts and dry fruits exhibit area increase from 231 hectares in 1960-61 to 10,491 hectares in 2015- 16, Citrus and other sub tropical fruits have increased from 1,225 hectares and 623 hectares in 1960-61 to 24,063 hectares and 53,658 hectares in 2015-16, respectively.
Govt. policies and initiatives
Horticulture Development scheme is the major programme aiming at the creation and maintenance of infrastructural facilities in the rural areas for ensuring equitable access to the resources and inputs required for the promotion of all fruit crops. Under this scheme, the programmes like development of fruit production, area expansion programme, demonstration of new technologies and improved package of practices on the orchards of fruit growers, development of Walnut, Hazelnut , Pistachio nut, mango, litchi, strawberry and olive are being implemented.
During the year 2016-17 the procurement price of Apple, Mango and Citrus fruits has been remained the same under Market Intervention scheme.
To promote flower cultivation two Tissue Culture Laboratories have been established under Model Flower Cultivation Centres at Mahogbagh (Chail, District Solan) and Palampur District Kangra. Four Farmers Cooperative Societies are functioning for the production and marketing of flowers in district Shimla, Kangra, Lahaul & Spiti and Chamba.
The weather based Crop Insurance Scheme was initially launched in Himachal Pradesh in 6 Blocks for apple crop and in 4 Blocks for Mango crop during Rabi 2009-10. In view of the popularity of this scheme, the coverage under this scheme has been extended during the consecutive years. Presently during year 2016-17, the scheme is being implemented in 36 Blocks for Apple, 41 Blocks for Mango, 15 Blocks for Kinnow.
For integrated development of Horticulture, Centrally Sponsored Schemes, Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna and Pardhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojna are being implemented in the State. To promote protected cultivation in horticulture, the State Government has enhanced subsidy under Poly Houses from 50 percent to 85 percent.
To promote micro-irrigation facilities,659 hectare area has been brought under Pardhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojna upto December,2016. In addition to this, for strengthening Irrigation facilities in the orchards, water Storage Tanks and Borewells are being established in the State.
Himachal Pradesh Marketing Corporation (HPMC) a State public undertaking was established in the Pradesh with the objective of marketing fresh fruits and vegetables, processing the unmarketable surplus and marketing the processed products. HPMC is looking forward to upgrade the existing infrastructure of pack house, cold store, CA store and Fruit Processing Plant etc.