Department of Agricultural Economics MPKV, Rahuri - 413 722, Dist. Ahmednagar, Maharashtra
Horticulture contributes 29.50 per cent to agriculture GDP, from only 8.5 per cent of area and 10 per cent of the total agricultural export earning. The export of grape, mango, banana and pomegranate has increased by 3.23, 2.27, 19.34 and 6.73-times during the past fourteen years (1991 to 2004). The export earnings of fresh fruits have increased from Rs 239.81 crores in 1999–2000 to Rs 285.32 crores in 2001–02 and Rs 361.62 cores in 2004–05. After WTO, the decline in prices of agricultural commodities world over due to withdrawal of agricultural subsidies, is likely to influence the profitability of agricultural export.
In the export of grapes, India's share was below one per cent but it increased from 11140 Mt in 1991 to 35940 Mt in 2004 and the per kg price realized ranged from Rs 16.70 in 1991 to Rs 42.89 in 2002; it declined later to Rs 39.53 and further to Rs 30.79 in the subsequent period.
The net prices received from mango export have been found to range from Rs 15.35 (1991) to Rs 22.16 (2002). The export price of mango which was above Rs 17 for many year, declined to Rs 16.60 in 2004. The bulk of Indian mango is exported to Bangladesh (62.05 per cent) at a very low rate (Rs 9.14), followed by Nepal (Rs 7.93). India has less than 5 per cent share in world trade of pomegranates, it is mainly concentrated towards Middle East countries like UAE (41.73%), Netherland (19.17%), UK (17.72%), Bangladesh (3.77%), Saudi Arabia (2.69%), Bahrain (2.50%). The highest price for pomegranate export is obtained in UK Rs 41.52, followed by Netherland and Saudi Arabia. India is leading banana producer in the world but has negligible exports (12575.29 tonnes during 2004–2005). The price received for banana export increased to above Rs 20 per kg during 1998 to 2000 and declined to Rs 19.56 in 2004. The per kg price realized was the highest in Qatar (Rs 22.05), followed by UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, USA.
Managerial intervention has been found necessary to obtain maximum possible rates from export by way of diversion of bulk exports to comparatively high rate offering countries.
