Horticulture.

India — The Garden of a Billion Fruits and Vegetables

When we think of Indian agriculture, we often think of rice and wheat.

But there is another enormous world growing alongside them — horticulture.

Horticulture is the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, flowers, spices, medicinal plants and plantation crops.

And India is one of the world's great horticultural countries.

A garden of extraordinary variety

From the mango orchards of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra to the apple orchards of Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir, India's fruits reflect its enormous variety of climates.

Bananas flourish in the warm and humid south.

Oranges grow abundantly in Maharashtra and the Northeast.

Grapes have made Maharashtra and parts of Karnataka famous.

Guavas, papayas, pomegranates, pineapples and many other fruits are cultivated across different parts of the country.

Then come the vegetables — potatoes, onions, tomatoes, brinjal, cauliflower, cabbage, okra, peas and countless others.

India's kitchens depend upon this extraordinary diversity.

And then come the spices

Few things identify India more strongly than its spices.

Black pepper, cardamom, turmeric, chilli, ginger, cumin, coriander, cloves and cinnamon have travelled from Indian fields into kitchens across the world.

The humid hills of Kerala and Karnataka are particularly suited to several spices, while drier regions such as Rajasthan and Gujarat are important for crops such as cumin and coriander.

Flowers are crops too

Horticulture is not only about food.

India grows enormous quantities of marigold, jasmine, rose, chrysanthemum and other flowers.

Flowers find their way into temples, homes, festivals, weddings, perfumes and markets.

A small flower garden can therefore become a livelihood for a farming family.

Why horticulture matters

Horticulture gives farmers something very important:

diversity.

A farmer does not have to depend entirely on one crop.

Fruit trees can produce for years.

Vegetables can provide frequent harvests.

Flowers can supply nearby markets.

Spices can have high value even when grown on relatively small areas.

And horticultural crops can create employment beyond the farm — in packing, transport, storage, processing and marketing.

From field to table

The next time we eat a mango, peel a banana, cut a tomato or add turmeric to our food, we are seeing the final stage of a much longer journey.

A seed or sapling.

A piece of land.

Water and sunshine.

A farmer's labour.

A harvest.

A market.

And finally, our table.

India's living garden

India's agricultural wealth is therefore not just measured in tonnes of rice or wheat.

It is also found in orchards, vegetable gardens, spice plantations, flower fields and countless small farms.

Together they create something remarkable:

a country that is not merely an agricultural nation, but one of the world's great living gardens.