Trends in Production and Export of Vegetables in India

The cumulative growth rate of vegetable productivity in India is more than changes in world productivity of 15.1% during 1992–2008. The country has witnessed a cumulative growth of 31.8% of onion production, 22.8% growth of tomato and (−11.3%) in potato crop during post WTO regime. India contributes about 13% of the total world production of vegetables. Of the total vegetable production in India, potato accounts for 27.6 per cent, onion 10.6% and tomato 8.9% share. The impressive growth rate of vegetable export from India at 9.8 percent per annum is recorded in last decade. The analysis of quantum share of exports to total production was found to be very low, particularly in potato and tomato crops when compared against onion crop. In global market export of onion stands tall as compared to trade share for potato and tomato is negligible. In domestic market trade share and consumers preference follows potato, onion and tomato sequence. The very low export performance ratio or RCA (<1) and negative value of revealed symmetric comparative advantage (RSCA) indicated that both potato and tomato were not export competitive. The high %coefficient of variation was used as an index of instability in tomato as well as potato export from India.