Scope of cultivation of fruits crops

1. Need to Increase Production to Meet Dietary Requirements:
2. Scope for Increasing Area under Dry Land Fruits:

• There are many fruit trees like ber, custard apple, cashewnut, anola etc. which are hardy in nature and can be grown under purely rainfed condition.
• In India 86 million ha land is available for development of sound technology of rainfed horticulture; there is good scope to put these lands under dry land fruit crops.

3. Increasing Urbanization and Change in Food Habits:

• Increasing urbanization due to industrial growth has increased demands for fruits. Change in food habits to organic food is also being noticed due to education and assured income which has also helped in increasing demands for fruits.

4. Increased Transport Facilities:

• Most of the fruits are highly perishable, having less storage life and need quick disposal after harvest.
• Lack of good transportation system was one of the major constraints in expansion of fruits.
• However, now a day quick transport facilities by roadrail and air are available enabling growers to transport fruits, to long distance markers in good condition in a short period of time.

5. Increasing Cold Storage Facilities and Precooling Centers:

• Fruits are highly perishable and have less shelf-life. During the peak harvesting period the market gluts reduce prices of fruits .
• Cold storage facilities help to regulate market supply and stab1izes the market rate. Similarly, to extend shelf life, precooling after harvest is necessary

6. Scope for Agro-Based Industries:

• Even after so much of industrial progress, our country depends on agricultural sectors for employment.
• Development of agro-based industries to generate employment is a must to keep our economy sound.

7. Development of New Techniques:

• Use of growth regulators, in-situ grafting, drip irrigation for water economy, tissue culture special horticultural practices like ringing, girdling, notching, bahar treatment, high density planting etc. have helped to increase productivity and also to bring more lands under cultivation.

8. Evaluation of New High Yielding Varieties and Introduction of New Crops:

• Development of high yielding cultivar of fruits like pomegranate (Ganesh, P-23, P-26, G-37), mango (Ratna, Amrapali, Malika, Sindu), grapes (Thompson seedless), guava (Sardar and L-49), etc, which are having specialized feature like disease and pest resistant, high yielding, diverse acclimatization etc, brought more area under fruits.
• Similarly, introduction of commercial cultivation of some of the new crops like ber anola etc. also indicates scope for area expansion.

9. Government Incentive:

• Realizing the need for area expansion of fruit crops, the governments have started a very ambitious programme of fruit development under which it gives100% subsidy to marginal farmers and farmers from backward communities and 70% subsidy for others on establishment and maintenance of fruit orchard for a period of 3 years.
• This would increase the area under fruits. It is expected that due to this programme, the area under fruits will increase.

10. Scope for Export of Fruits:

• Market surveys in Europe and other markets have revealed that is a good scope or export of grapes, mango, banana, pomegranate, citrus, ber, cashew to gulf and European markers.
• The availability of these markets would be increase area under these fruits.

11. Employment generation:

• Agricultural sector needs more skilled labor forces to conduct the daily activities.
• The labor supply in Nepal is much cheaper than the other countries, hence providing greater opportunities for maintaining the different activities of the farm.

12. Very high production and suitability of climate for fruits:

• The productivity of horticultural crops is much more than other crops like cereals, pulses, etc. from the same piece of land.
• Nepal is bestowed with diverse climatic condition such as tropical climate, temperate climate and subtropical climate, which are feasible for all most all the fruit crops.