Bhopal, November 12, 2024, Madhya Pradesh has emerged as the leading state in India for spice crop production, setting a new record in 2023-24 with over 54 lakh metric tons harvested across 8.32 lakh hectares. The Department of Horticulture and Food Processing has been actively encouraging farmers to integrate horticulture with traditional agriculture. As a result, the state expanded horticultural crops over 13,110 hectares, granting ₹44.85 crore in subsidies to 42,730 farmers last year.
The increasing demand for spices like turmeric, garlic, green and red chili, ginger, coriander, fenugreek, cumin, and fennel is driving farmers toward spice production. Over the past four years, spice crop production has risen by 2.16 lakh metric tons, and the area sown for these crops expanded from 8.23 lakh hectares in 2021-22 to 8.82 lakh hectares in 2023-24. This growth pushed spice production from 46.74 lakh metric tons in 2021-22 to 54 lakh metric tons in 2023-24.
**Farmers Benefiting from High Returns in Spice Crops**
Farmers like Monu Khan from Alamapura village in Tikamgarh district have embraced this trend. Khan cultivated capsicum, tomatoes, and green chili on 12 hectares and reports substantial earnings by selling 30-35 quintals of capsicum daily in the market.
Another inspiring case is Rajesh Kalra, a farmer from Bhikangaon block in Khargone district, who planted green chili over 12 acres. With harvesting and drying underway, Kalra expects earnings of around ₹30-35 lakh from his four-month chili crop this year.
Success stories of such progressive farmers are encouraging others in Madhya Pradesh to shift focus from traditional crops to horticulture. The state ranks second in the nation for green chili production. In 2020-21, green chili was cultivated over 50,933 hectares, yielding 8.01 lakh metric tons. By 2023-24, the cultivation area increased to 64,116 hectares, producing 10.17 lakh metric tons—accounting for about 16% of the state’s total spice crop production area.
Author: This news is edited by: Abhishek Verma, (Editor, CANON TIMES)
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