Himachal Pradesh Sub-Tropical Horticulture, Irrigation and Value Addition

At a Glance

Himachal Pradesh is almost wholly mountainous with altitudes ranging from 350meters to 6,975 meters above the mean sea level. It is located between Latitude 30° 22’ 40’’ N to 33° 12’ 20’’ N and Longitude 75° 45’ 55’’ E to 79° 04’ 20’’ E. It has a deeply dissected topography, complex geological structure and a rich temperate flora in the sub-tropical latitudes. The State Himachal Pradesh shares borders with the union territories of Jammu &Kashmir and Ladakh to the north, and the states of Punjab to the west, Haryana to the southwest, Uttarakhand to the southeast and a very narrow border with Uttar Pradesh to the south. The state is divided into 12 Districts. There is a vide variation in the climate of the state ranging from low hills-valley areas to mid hills (sub temperate), high hills & interior valley areas (temperate) and cold desert areas (dry temperate). Out of the total geographical area of 55.67 Lakh Ha in the State, only 6.15 Lakh Ha is cultivable with per capita land availability of only 0.10 Ha.

Detail of districts falling under variousagroclimatic zones of HP

Horticulture Zones in Himachal Pradesh

About 80% of cultivable area in Himachal Pradesh is rainfed. Depending upon the agro-climatic conditions and the suitability of a particular area for the growing of specific horticulturalcrops in that area, the State can broadly be divided into four agro-climatic zones as described in the table below

Sr. No.	Zone Description	Altitude (Meters AMSL)	Rainfall (cm)	Suitable Fruit Crops
1	Low Hill and Valley Areas near the plains	365-914	60 - 100	Fruits: Mango, Litchi, Citrus, Aonla, Pomegranate, low chilling varieties of Peach, Plum and Pear, Strawberry Vegetables: Tomato, Capsicum, Cabbage, root crops Floriculture: Gladiolus, Lillium, Marigold, Chrysanthemum
2	Mid Hills (Sub Temperate)	915-1523	90 - 100	Fruits: Stone fruits (Peach, Plum, Apricot, Almond), Pear, Pomegranate, Pecan nut, Walnut, Kiwi fruit, Strawberry Vegetables: Peas, Cauliflower, Tomato, Capsicum, Cabbage, rootcrops Floriculture: Carnation Gladiolus, Lillium, Marigold, Chrysanthemum, Alstroemeria
3	High Hills and Valleys in the interiors (Temperate)	1524-2742	90 - 100	Fruits: Apple, Pear, Cherry, Almond, Walnut, Chestnut, Hazelnut, Strawberry. Vegetable: Broccoli, Asparagus, Parsley, Tomato, Capsicum Floriculture: Gladiolus, Lillium, Marigold, Chrysanthemum.
4	Cold and Dry Zone (Dry Temperate)	2743-3656	24 - 40	Fruits: Apple, Grapes, Prunes, Drying type Apricot, Almond, Chilgoza, Pistachionut, Walnut, Hazelnut Vegetables: Seed crops of all vegetables, Exotic vegetables

Land Availability

The soil and water remain the most priceless but poorly managed commodities in the country as well as in the State. In Himachal Pradesh only 13% of the total area i.e. 6.15 lakhs hectare is being utilized for cultivation purpose and out of this cultivable area only around 20% is irrigated. The size of the land holdings is small, i.e. 64 per cent of the land holdings are below one hectare (marginal) which on an average ranges between 0.04-0.06 ha. and 21 per cent lie between 1-2 hectares (small). The overall average land holding of farmers is only about 1.0 hectare. The land holdings are also further fragmented at various locations. The topography of the State is mountainous and rugged. The farm holdings are located on the terraced mountainous slopes in remote locations; most of the areas are rain fed (80%). These small holdings are not capable of yielding food for the family, leave alone providing surplus income.

Out of the total geographical area of State (55.67 lakh hectare) the area of operationalholdings is about 9.55 lakh hectares and is operated by 9.61 lakh farmers. The average holding size is about 1.00 hectare.