{"id":12305,"date":"2025-05-22T11:22:05","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T05:52:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/?p=12305"},"modified":"2025-05-22T11:22:05","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T05:52:05","slug":"national-horticulture-mission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/national-horticulture-mission\/","title":{"rendered":"National Horticulture Mission, Objectives, Role, UPSC Notes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>National Horticulture Mission (NHM)<\/strong> is a program that aims to promote holistic growth of the horticulture sector through area-based, regionally differentiated strategies. The NHM was launched in <\/span><b>2005-06<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> by the Government of India and is a centrally sponsored scheme under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH). This program seeks to ensure forward and backwards linkage through a cluster approach with the active participation of all stakeholders to promote the holistic development of the horticulture sector.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Over the years, the\u00a0<strong>National Horticulture Mission<\/strong> has helped to increase horticulture output, which has contributed significantly to India\u2019s agricultural GDP. However, climate change poses uncertainties and risks to the horticulture sector, imposing constraints on production systems that are required to be resolved for continued growth.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">National Horticulture Mission (NHM) About<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>National Horticulture Mission (NHM)<\/strong> is a centrally sponsored horticulture scheme to promote the output of the horticulture sector. NHM was launched in 2005-06, leading to significant area expansion of horticulture and higher production in the country. NHM was subsumed under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH, 2014-15).<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">MIDH, established in 2014-15, integrated various central schemes to promote holistic growth in the horticulture sector, covering fruits, vegetables, root and tuber crops, mushrooms, spices, flowers, aromatic plants, and coconut.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone  wp-image-12356\" src=\"https:\/\/d35xcwcl37xo08.cloudfront.net\/upsc-exam-wp-uploads\/2025\/05\/Major-Interventions-under-National-Horticulture-Mission.webp\" alt=\"Major Interventions under National Horticulture Mission\" width=\"668\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d35xcwcl37xo08.cloudfront.net\/upsc-exam-wp-uploads\/2025\/05\/Major-Interventions-under-National-Horticulture-Mission.webp 1999w, https:\/\/d35xcwcl37xo08.cloudfront.net\/upsc-exam-wp-uploads\/2025\/05\/Major-Interventions-under-National-Horticulture-Mission-768x490.webp 768w, https:\/\/d35xcwcl37xo08.cloudfront.net\/upsc-exam-wp-uploads\/2025\/05\/Major-Interventions-under-National-Horticulture-Mission-1536x980.webp 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 668px) 100vw, 668px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">National Horticulture Mission Objectives<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>National Horticulture Mission has a primary objective<\/strong> of maximizing the state's horticultural potential and increasing the state's output of all horticultural products. Its objective also includes increasing farmer\u2019s income, improving farm output and skill development. The objectives are discussed in detail below:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Promote Horticulture:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The mission aims to promote the holistic growth of the horticulture sector, including bamboo and coconut, through regionally differentiated strategies, including research, technology promotion, extension, post-harvest management, processing, and marketing.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Encourage Farmer Associations:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> To bring about economies of scale and encourage farmers to join farmer groups such as Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Enhance Income:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0 Increase the output of horticulture, increase farmers' incomes, and improve nutritional security.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Boost Farm Output:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Increase output through the use of high-quality seed, planting material, and water-saving microirrigation techniques.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/skill-development\/\" target=\"_blank\">Skill Development<\/a>:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Encourage young people in rural areas to develop their skills and find work in horticulture and post-harvest management, particularly in the cold chain industry.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Role of National Horticulture Mission<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <strong>Role of the National Horticulture Mission<\/strong> is to boost the production, productivity, and income of horticulture farms. Further, it plays a crucial role in increasing the income of farmers. Over the period, it has helped in the expansion of cultivated areas under horticulture, improved plant quality, and worked on capacity building of farmers. The details are discussed below:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Expansion of Cultivated Area:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> NHM has provided financial support for the cultivation of various plants, with a focus on high-density planting and rejuvenation of old orchards to boost productivity.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Improved Plant Quality:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Established model nurseries to offer disease-free, high-yielding planting material and promoted hybrid and high-yielding varieties to enhance productivity per hectare.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Modern Techniques:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Promoted use of greenhouse farming, use of drip irrigation for enhanced water-use efficiency, and reduced dependency on chemical fertilisers.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Capacity Building:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Conducted Training programs for farmers and entrepreneurs in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Krishi Vigyan Kendras for research and adoption of modern horticultural practices.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Post-Harvest Management:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> NHM aimed to reduce post-harvest losses by constructing cold storage, pack houses, and ripening chambers, and to enhance price realization through aggregation centres and rural markets.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Promoted High-Value Crops:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Farmers are encouraged to diversify their crops from traditional ones to high-value horticultural crops like fruits, vegetables, flowers, spices, and medicinal plants, as they offer higher returns per unit area.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Enhanced Market Access:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Promoted FPOs and directed marketing initiatives to eliminate middlemen, developed rural markets, collection centres, and contract farming linkages for improved farmer price realization.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Encouraged Value Addition:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Financial support is being provided to establish food processing units, agro-industries, and primary processing centres, enabling farmers to sell processed products at higher prices.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Status of Horticulture in India<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <strong>status of horticulture in India<\/strong> has improved over time due to the impact of the National Horticulture Mission and continued Government support. The status can be summarised as mentioned below:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Contribution GDP:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The horticulture sector constituting 18% of the area, contributes about 33% of the gross value to the agricultural GDP significantly boosting the Indian economy.<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The sector is being considered as a driver of economic growth and is gradually turning into an organized industry linked to seed trading, value addition, and exports.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Employment:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Horticulture provides rural employment, diversifies farm activities, and enhances farmers' income.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>High Production:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> India is currently producing about 320.48 million tones of horticulture produce which has surpassed the food grain production, that too from a much less area (25.66 million Ha. for horticulture against 127.6 M. ha. for food grains)<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>High productivity:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Horticulture crops have high productivity compared to food grains of\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/kharif-and-rabi-crops\/\" target=\"_blank\">Kharif and Rabi Crops<\/a><\/strong> (12.49 tones\/ha against 2.23 tones\/ha.)<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Improved India\u2019s Position:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> India became the world leader in producing various fruits like mango, banana, guava, papaya etc, vegetables, spices, coconut, and cashew nuts.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">National Horticulture Mission Significance<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>National Horticulture Mission (NHM)<\/strong>, launched in 2005-06, significantly transformed India's horticulture sector by increasing production, improving quality, and boosting farmers' income, contributing to agricultural growth and rural development. The details are discussed as mentioned below:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Boosted Production:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The initiative boosted agricultural production by encouraging area expansion, promoting high-yielding varieties, and enhancing yield per hectare through high-density planting, protected cultivation, and organic farming.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone  wp-image-12355\" src=\"https:\/\/d35xcwcl37xo08.cloudfront.net\/upsc-exam-wp-uploads\/2025\/05\/Growth-in-Area-and-Production-of-Fruits-under-National-Horticulture-Mission.webp\" alt=\"Growth in Area and Production of Fruits under National Horticulture Mission\" width=\"733\" height=\"341\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d35xcwcl37xo08.cloudfront.net\/upsc-exam-wp-uploads\/2025\/05\/Growth-in-Area-and-Production-of-Fruits-under-National-Horticulture-Mission.webp 1784w, https:\/\/d35xcwcl37xo08.cloudfront.net\/upsc-exam-wp-uploads\/2025\/05\/Growth-in-Area-and-Production-of-Fruits-under-National-Horticulture-Mission-768x357.webp 768w, https:\/\/d35xcwcl37xo08.cloudfront.net\/upsc-exam-wp-uploads\/2025\/05\/Growth-in-Area-and-Production-of-Fruits-under-National-Horticulture-Mission-1536x715.webp 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 733px) 100vw, 733px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Enhanced Farmers Income:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The shift from traditional crops to high-value horticultural ones has increased income by 2-3 times and provided employment opportunities, particularly for women and rural youth.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Strengthened Post-Harvest Infrastructure:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The establishment of cold storage, pack houses, ripening chambers, and food processing units has significantly reduced post-harvest losses.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Contributed to Agricultural <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/gross-domestic-product-gdp\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>GDP<\/b><\/a><b>:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Horticulture now accounts for over 33% of India's agricultural GDP, despite covering only 18% of the total cropped area.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Food Security:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> India has become the second-largest global producer of fruits and vegetables, ensuring food and nutritional security.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Export Growth:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> India's horticulture exports, including mangoes, grapes, pomegranates, and spices, have significantly grown, boosting the rural economy through strengthened agri-processing industries.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">National Horticulture Mission Limitations<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>National Horticulture Mission faces several limitations<\/strong> and challenges which hinder the realization of its full potential. The limitations like climate change, less technology adoption, high price volatility, and lack of credit supply, etc. have resulted in reducing its positive impact. The details are discussed below:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Price Volatility:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> High price volatility in fruits and vegetables affects farmers' income stability.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Insufficient Cold Storage:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Post-harvest losses are high due to inadequate cold chains, pack houses, and processing units, resulting in spoilage and wastage of horticultural crops, reducing profitability.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Lack of Credit:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Small and marginal farmers often face a credit crunch due to delays in the disbursement of subsidies and credit because of red tapism.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Less Technology Adoption:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Low awareness and lack of training results in farmers still focusing on traditional methods of agriculture resulting in lower productivity.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Climate Change:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The issue of climate change and the vagaries of monsoon have led to decreased output for the highly sensitive horticulture crops.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">National Horticulture Mission Way Forward<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>National Horticulture Mission<\/strong> in India needs reforms and interventions to enhance productivity, income, and sustainability, focusing on a more inclusive, technology-driven, and market-oriented approach. The solution lies in improving market linkages, expanding storage facilities, providing credit support, etc. The details are discussed below:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Improve Market Linkages:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Promotion of FPOs to improve collective bargaining potential and expand e-NAM (National Agriculture Market) to include more horticulture produce.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Better Storage Facilities:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Improved Warehousing facilities could be developed using PPP, and support could be provided from the Mega Food Parks scheme.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Credit support:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Focus on enhancing credit supply through interest-free loans and securing the produce through insurance schemes like PM Fasal Bima Yojana<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Technology adoption:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Awareness generation among farmers to increasing technology adoption, like <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/artificial-intelligence\/\" target=\"_blank\">Artificial Intelligence<\/a><\/strong>-based pest control, drone spraying, etc.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Climate Resilience:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Encourage techniques like organic farming and agroforestry to maintain soil health and biodiversity. Also, methods like rainwater harvesting can help in reducing dependence on monsoons.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Improve Coordination:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Better collaboration between Government, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/civil-society\/\" target=\"_blank\">Civil Society Organisations<\/a><\/strong>, and Agri-Startups can lead to improved outcomes. Farmer cooperatives for horticulture on the model of AMUL could also be formed to achieve better results.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thus, to realize the full potential of the National Horticulture Mission a farmer-centric approach is required. As India moves ahead to become the food basket of the world, the role of horticulture becomes very crucial and the National Horticulture Mission can help us further improve our agriculture production.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">National Horticulture Mission UPSC PYQs<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><b>Q.1<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> What are the present challenges before crop diversification? How do emerging technologies provide an opportunity for crop diversification? <\/span><b>(UPSC Mains 2021)<\/b><\/p>\r\n<p><b>Q.2<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Assess the role of the 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? <\/span><b>(UPSC Mains 2018)<\/b><\/p>\r\n<p><b>Q.3 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Explain various types of revolutions, took place in Agriculture after Independence in India. How have these revolutions helped in poverty alleviation and food security in India? <\/span><b>(UPSC Mains 2017)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><b>Q.4<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> In the context of food and nutritional security of India, enhancing the \u2018Seed Replacement Rates\u2019 of various crops helps in achieving the food production targets of the future. But what is\/are the constraint\/constraints in its wider \/ greater implementation? <\/span><b>(UPSC Prelims 2014).<\/b><\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There is no National Seeds Policy in place.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There is no participation of private sector seed companies in the supply of quality seeds of vegetables and planting materials of horticultural crops.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There is a demand-supply gap regarding quality seeds in the case of low-value and high-volume crops.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Select the correct answer using the code given below.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">a) 1 and 2<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">b) 3 only<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">c) 2 and 3<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">d) None<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><b>Ans. (b)<\/b><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>National Horticulture Mission is a centrally sponsored scheme for improving horticulture. Check about National Horticulture Mission, Objectives, Role.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":12353,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,38],"tags":[1319,40,648],"class_list":{"0":"post-12305","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-agriculture-notes","8":"category-upsc-notes","9":"tag-national-horticulture-mission","10":"tag-quest","11":"tag-upsc-agriculture-notes"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12305","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12305"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12305\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12353"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}