Abstract
AbstractTomatoes, onions and potatoes, popularly known as the TOP vegetables, are the three largest cultivated, produced and consumed vegetables in India. Their production has increased dramatically over the years, making India the second-largest producer of all the three vegetables in the world just after China. Recent figures put tomato production at 19 million metric tonnes (MMT), onion production at 22.8 MMT and potato production at 50.2 MMT in 2018–19.
Highlights
This does not bring much cheer to the vegetable farmers. They have been resorting to distress sales, burning their crop or discarding them on the roads
The answer lies in value chain fragmentation, price volatility, quality and quantity losses and low levels of processing that characterise the market for horticultural crops in India
Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd. (JISL) works with farmers on both ends of the value chain providing them with inputs like fertilisers, seeds, micro irrigation systems, and extension services, and purchasing their raw produce for processing
Summary
Onions and potatoes, popularly known as TOP vegetables, are the three largest cultivated, produced and consumed vegetables in India. The answer lies in value chain fragmentation, price volatility, quality and quantity losses and low levels of processing that characterise the market for horticultural crops in India The prevalence of these problems has weakened India’s potential in the global horticulture trade and resulted in low returns to farmers. The reasons lie in the perishable nature of the crop, regional and seasonal concentration, and lack of storage facilities It is essential, to make the vegetable value chain more demand-driven, where the farmers do not face the problem of plenty. With this backdrop, the chapter analyzes the existing value chains of the three vegetables—tomato, onion and potato and provides policy recommendations to develop more competitive, inclusive, sustainable and scalable value chains with access to finance (CISS-F). The methodology followed in the chapter assesses the competitiveness, inclusivity, scalability, sustainability and financial requirements (CISS-F) of the TOP value chain
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