Hyderabad: Even as Telangana has emerged as a major paddy-producing state, its vegetable cultivation has witnessed a steep decline, leaving it with the smallest area under vegetable crops among the country’s major states. In 2023-24, only 0.47 lakh hectares were under vegetable cultivation in Telangana, far below the national average of 11.37 lakh hectares.Data available with TOI shows that the state’s vegetable cultivation area has shrunk dramatically over the past decade, falling from 1.80 lakh hectares in 2014-15 to just 0.47 lakh hectares in 2023-24. The decline stands in sharp contrast to trends in several other states, where vegetable acreage has expanded steadily during the same period.Maharashtra increased the area under vegetable cultivation from 5.95 lakh hectares to 9.18 lakh hectares, while Madhya Pradesh more than doubled its coverage from 6.72 lakh hectares to 12.75 lakh hectares.Uttar Pradesh expanded vegetable cultivation from 11.63 lakh hectares to 14.28 lakh hectares, while West Bengal increased the area from 13.87 lakh hectares to 15.82 lakh hectares.Tamil Nadu also registered growth, with vegetable acreage rising from 2.85 lakh hectares to 3.63 lakh hectares. Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh too recorded an expansion in vegetable cultivation over the decade.Among southern states, Telangana lagged significantly behind its neighbours. Andhra Pradesh had 1.85 lakh hectares under vegetable crops in 2023-24, Kerala 1.05 lakh hectares, Karnataka 3.91 lakh hectares and Tamil Nadu 3.63 lakh hectares, all substantially higher than Telangana’s 0.47 lakh hectares.The shrinking cultivation area has been accompanied by a sharp drop in production. Telangana’s vegetable output declined from 30.05 lakh tonnes in 2014-15 to 10.76 lakh tonnes in 2023-24, reflecting a steady erosion of the state’s vegetable-growing base.At the national level, vegetable cultivation covered 112.32 lakh hectares in 2023-24, generating a production of 2,072.08 lakh tonnes.The data highlights a striking divergence. While most major states have expanded vegetable cultivation to meet growing demand, Telangana has moved in the opposite direction, with both acreage and output witnessing a sustained decline over the last decade.
Source link
