🌷 Scope and Importance of Fruit Cultivation

Fruit cultivation is one of the clearest examples of how horticulture connects farm production with nutrition, processing, trade, and rural livelihoods. This lesson explains why fruit crops are treated as a high-priority sector in both agricultural education and national planning.

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SCOPE AND IMPORTANCE OF FRUIT CULTIVATION, NUTRITIONAL,

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COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL AND MEDICINAL IMPORTANCE OF FRUIT CROPS

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Importance of fruit growing

Cultivation of fruit crops plays an important role in the prosperity of any nation. It is

generally stated that the standard of living of the people can be judged by per capita production

and consumption of fruits.

Fruits crops are capable of giving higher tonnage of yield per unit area than other field

crops. For example, a wheat crop produces on an average 12-15 tonnes from an area of one

hectare in two crops per year. Even a hybrid rice variety can giv e only a maximum of 24 tonnes

from one hectare land in three crops per year while a banana crop can yield 35-40 tonnes per

hectare. Papaya gives 100-150 tonnes per hectare in 2 ½ years which works out of 40-60 tonnes

per year and mango gives 25 tonnes from a hectare. From grapevine, a quantity of 60-80 tonnes

per hectare in tow harvests per year can be obtained under tropical climate.

Fruits are found to be a rich source of vitamins and minerals. For example mango, papaya

and jack have the important constituent the beta carotene which is actually the precursor of

vitamin A.

Mango and papaya fruits have been estimated to be very good sources of readily

available beta-carotene, 1990 ug per 100 g in mango and 880 ug per 100 g in papaya. While

bajra supplies only 132 ug of beta-carotene per 100 g, wheat supplies hardly 64 ug per 100g. It is

disheartening to know that raw rice which is the major energy source in South Indian diet does

not possess any carotene at all.

According to recent research results many phytochemicals found in fruits act as powerful

antioxidants protecting cells and organs from damage caused by free radicals, neutralizing their

damaging effects. They are the biologically active substances in plants that give them colour,

flavour, odour and protection against not only diseases affecting the plants but also human being.

Consequently hundreds of such plant substances are being investigated now for their role in

preventing cancer and other degenerative diseases. Some of the promising phytochemicals which

act as antioxidants are bioflavanoids (Vitamin P), phenolics, lycopene, carotenoids, antioxidant

vitamins (C and E) and glucosinolates.

Oranges, lemons, limes and grape fruits besides being principal sources of vitamin C and

folate are rich in a class of phytochemicals called limonoids. This antioxidant has been found to

be very effective against cancer.

Sweet orange is the most common food recommended for a patient suffering from very

high fever. It has a cooling effect as well as it is easily assimilated. Peyan, a variety of banana

fruit is administered to patients suffering from chicken pox as it brings down the high

temperature of the body.

The potential of fruit crops in the growth of national economy is noteworthy. The

prosperity of the country lies in building up its foreign exchange reserves. Being a country

having varied climatic conditions ranging from tropical to subtropical and to temperate, India has

very immense potential for the production of different fruits and their export. During 1998-99,

1.18 lakh tonnes of fruits and nuts valued at Rs.24,714 lakhs were exported from India. During

2002 India ranked second in annual production of fruits with 48.57 million tonnes accounting for

about 10.3% of total world fruit production.

Recent policies of the Government of India to encourage export of fruits and their

products by announcing concessions to the fruit industry such as reduced air freight charges and

exemption for storage charges for refrigerated air cargo at international airports have encouraged

a number of private entrepreneurs / corporate bodies and NRIs to go in for planting larger area

under fruit crops with an aim to export fruits and fruit products.

The foregoing account is given with a view to emphasize the growing importance of the

fruit industry. As could be seen from the details given therein, the fruit culture in vital to the

health and economy of the nation, from the stand point of increased food production, nutrition,

trade and fruit based industries.

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Summary Cheat Sheet

Topic	Key exam point
Main value of fruit crops	Often give higher returns per unit area than many field crops
Nutritional importance	Fruits supply vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and protective phytochemicals
Economic importance	Fruit cultivation supports farmer income, rural employment, and trade
Industrial importance	Major support to processing industries such as juice, pulp, jam, and other fruit products
Medicinal/protective role	Fruits contribute to health through protective food value and natural bioactive compounds
India’s production rank	India is commonly cited as the second largest fruit producer globally in these notes
Agroclimatic advantage	India can grow tropical, subtropical, and temperate fruits because of diverse agroclimates
Export angle	Export potential is increasing with policy support, quality handling, and processing growth
Writing tip	In long answers, separate nutritional, economic, industrial, and medicinal importance
Exam trap	Do not reduce “scope and importance” only to yield or area statistics

References

2 sources • [1] [2]

[1]

Class notes: HORT 181 - Scope and importance of fruit cultivation

[2]

National Horticulture Board statistics (as cited in lesson text)