Why it is in news?

• Union Agriculture Minister announced March 2018 as the deadline to complete the ambitious project of developing the horticulture sector using remote sensing technology and geo-informatics. 

CHAMAN

• India is the second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world and the biggest producer of fruits such as banana, mango, papaya and lemon among others.
• But the country still has some distance to cover in terms of exports as post-harvest wastage of produce in India is high.
• In 2015, the government started project CHAMAN — acronym for Coordinated Horticulture Assessment and Management using geo-informatics — to prepare a comprehensive horticultural plan.
•  Using remote sensing technology to study soil conditions, land use, weather and cropping patter, the Centre has chosen 185 districts across the country where seven selected crops are being promoted.
• Once complete, the findings of the project would be shared with all states to give to boost to cultivation of horticultural crops.

States put into groups

• Different states have been divided into different groups to grow banana, mango, citrus fruits, potato, tomato, onion and chilli.
• Under CHAMAN, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra have been identified as the major banana-growing states.
•  Mango cultivation is being promoted in Andhra, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana, while onion is the focus for Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. 

HORTICULTURE

• Horticulture is the science and art of growing (plants) - fruits, vegetables, flowers, and any other cultivar.
•  It also includes plant conservation, landscape restoration, soil management, landscape and garden design, construction, and maintenance, and arboriculture. In contrast to agriculture, horticulture does not include large-scale crop production or animal husbandry. 

NHB

• National Horticulture Board (NHB) was set up by Government of India in April 1984 on the basis of recommendations of the "Group on Perishable Agricultural Commodities", headed by Dr M. S. Swaminathan, the then Member (Agriculture), Planning Commission, Government of India.
•  The NHB is registered as a Society under the Societies Registration Act 1860, with its headquarters at Gurgaon. 

Prospect of Horticulture

1. Growth achieved in horticulture sector so far needs to be sustained:
2. Increase in demand of horticulture products due to growing population, increase  in household income and growing sensitivity towards nutritional security.
3. Enhance returns per unit of area.
4. Harness existing potential for horticulture sector.

Problems of horticulture in india

1. Inadequate availability of planting material.
2. High prevalence of senile orchards.
3. Rainfed horticulture.
4. Lower productivity.
5. Insufficient trained manpower.
6.   Production of high yielding, disease free planting material of identified varieties.
7. Commercialization of high density planting system in potential fruit crops.
8. Rejuvenation and canopy management.
9. Skill development on improved production systems & management.
10. Creation of water harvesting structures linking with  water saving technologies suitable for  horticulture crops in rainfed/ dryland areas.
11. Commercialization of Greenhouse technologies for production of high value crops.
12. Promotion of mechanization to bring efficiency in production systems. 

What is remote sensing 

• Remote sensing usually refers to the technology of acquiring information abouthe earth's surface (land and ocean) and atmosphere using sensors onboard airborne (aircraft, balloons) or spaceborne (satellites, space shuttles) platforms.

Geoinformatics

• Geoinformatics has been described as "the science and technology dealing with the structure and character of spatial information, its capture, its classification and qualification, its storage, processing, portrayal and dissemination, including the infrastructure necessary to secure optimal use of this information"or "the art, science or technology dealing with the acquisition, storage, processing production, presentation and dissemination of geoinformation".