Horticulture production in the year ended June is pegged at 306.82 million tonnes (mt), up 2.05 per cent from the previous year’s 300.64 mt, according to the third advance estimates of horticultural production, released by the Agriculture Ministry on Wednesday.

The latest projections, however, are slightly lower than the 307.2 mt estimated in the second advance estimates released in May this year.

The production of fruits is expected to cross 97 mt, thanks to an impressive increase in the output of many fruits, particularly mangoes, which registered 9 per cent growth.

Production of vegetables, on the other hand, is projected to be close to 180 mt, marginally up from 2016-17. A slight slide is expected in the yield of major vegetables such as potatoes, onions and tomatoes.

The total area under horticulture crops was also up by 3.26 per cent at 25.66 million hectares (mha) from 24.85 mha in 2016-17.

At 48.5 mt, potato production is projected to be slightly lower than 48.61 mt in 2016-17, whereas a slump is expected in the output of onions, which is down 1.8 per cent at 22 mt. The highest decrease in production among major vegetable crops, however, was witnessed in tomato, with output projected to drop by 6.6 per cent to 19.4 mt. Brinjal production is expected to be marginally up at 12.83 mt from 12.51 mt in 2016-17.

Among fruits, citrus fruits output is expected to rise strongly to 9.6 per cent at 12.51 mt (11.42 mt). The production of mangoes is projected to grow 9 per cent to 21.25 mt. As is the case with banana production, which is expected to go up to 31 mt from 30.5 mt in 2016-17.

An impressive 10 per cent increase in dried chilli production to 2.3 mt from 2.09 mt in 2016-17 may help push up the total spices output to 8.37 mt from 8.12 in the year before. On the other hand, a slight dip is anticipated in the plantation crop output to 17.87 mt from the previous year’s 17.97 mt, the estimates showed. This is mainly on account of a drop in coconut production, which is slated to fall to 16.23 mt from 16.49 mt.