New Delhi, Oct 29 (IANS): India's horticulture production in 2020-21 is estimated to be a record 331.05 million tonnes, an increase of 10.6 million tonnes (about 3.3 per cent) over 2019-20, the government announced on Friday.

The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare released 2020-21 (Third Advance Estimates) of Area and Production of various horticultural crops, compiled on the basis of information received from states/UTs and other governmental source agencies.

Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that while the production of fruits is estimated to be 103 million tonnes compared to 102.1 million tonnes achieved in 2019-20, the area under production has increased from 26.48 million Ha in 2019-2020 to 27.59 million Ha in 2020-21 (Third Advance Estimates).

Highlights of the Third Advance Estimates include production of vegetables is estimated to be 197.2 million tonnes compared to last year's production of 188.3 million tonnes, that is, an increase of 4.8 per cent.

Production of onion is reported to be 26.8 million tonnes as against 26.1 million tonnes achieved in 2019-20, of potato is estimated to be a record production of 54.2 million tonnes in 2020-21, an increase by 5.6 million tonnes, of tomato is reported to be 21.1 million tonnes, as against production of 20.6 million tonnes achieved in 2019-20, an increase of 6.2 per cent and the aromatic and medicinal crops have registered an increase from 0.73 million tonnes in 2019-20 to 0.78 million tonnes in 2020-21, a release from the Ministry said.

Production of plantation crops has increased from 16.1 million tonnes in 2019-20 to 16.6 million tonnes in 2020-21 while production of spices has increased by 5.3 per cent, from 10.1 million tonnes in 2019-20 to 10.7 Million Tonnes in 2020-21, it added.