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INTRODUCTION
The Fruits and Vegetables (F&V) sector has been a driving force in stimulating a healthy growthtrend in Indian agriculture. Given the rising share of high value commodities in the total value ofagricultural output and their growth potential, this segment is likely to drive agricultural growthin the years to come (ASSOCHAM, 2013). It plays a unique role in India's economy by Improving the income of the rural people. Cultivation of these crops is labor intensive and as suchthey generate lot of employment opportunities for the rural population. F&V sector is perhaps the most profitable venture of all farming activities as it provides ampleemployment opportunities and scope to raise the income of the farming community. It also hastremendous potential to push the overall agriculture growth. India has been bestowed with widerange of climate and physio-geographical conditions and as such is most suitable for growingvarious kinds of F&V. This has placed India among the foremost countries in F&V productionjust behind China. F&V together constitute about 92 % of the total horticultural production inIndia (ASSOCHAM, 2013). During 2012-13, India's contribution in the world production of F&V was 12.6 % and 14 %respectively(NHB, 2013). China's share has been highest with 21.2% in world's fruit productionand 49.5% in world's vegetables production followed by India and Brazil.
TRENDS IN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES PRODUCTION & PRESENT STATUS OF INDIA
India is the second largest food producer in the world, after China and one of the centers of originof F&V with the total production of 88.977 million metric tonnes of Fruits and 162.897 millionmetric tonnes of vegetables till the year end 2014 (NHB, 2015). The production of F&V in Indiahas been shown in Figure 1from the year 1991-...