Know about the Production, Marketing and Export of Cauliflower

Cauliflower is an important as well as valuable vegetable crop in India with good amount of protein and vitamins. Presently, cauliflower is grown in more than 90 nations and its production is over 20.9 million metric tonnes. When we talk about production of Cauliflower, neighboring China ranks first followed by India, Spain, Mexico, Italy, France, US, Poland, Pakistan, Egypt, and United Arab Republic, etc.

Moreover, we can say that the scope for export of raw and value-added cauliflower is very bright. Hence, there is a need to surmount the prevailing problems of this sector.

Production

Cauliflower follows the cabbage in importance with regard to area and production in the world. But, in India cauliflower is grown more widely than cabbage. It grows at latitude 11°N - 60°N with standard temperatures ranging from 5 to 8°C - 25 to 28°C. Cauliflower here is grown in hills as well as plains and from 11°N to 35°N. Important cauliflower-growing states are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Karnataka, West Bengal, and Bihar. It is also grown in the northern Himalayas and in the Nilgiri Hills in the southern region. The crop is harvested from August to late February in north Indian plains whereas from March to November in the hilly regions.

Cauliflower acreage in India is around 2.5 lakh hectares, in which the seed intake perspective is 125 tons of OP cultivars and 45 tons of hybrid cultivars and the market value of this seed comes at Rs. 85 crores. The present traded seed market of cauliflower seed in the country is around Rs.55 crores. The hybrid seed is imported from China, Japan, Taiwan, and Korea.

Export of cauliflowers

As far as the promotion of exports is concerned, our country had a good marketplace in European Union in the 1990s, so it is the right time to regain those markets by exporting value-added products of cauliflower. Locally also the demand for value-added cauliflower is rising in recent years. All we need is a properly planned strategy to improve this sector.

Here is a list of countries to where Indian cauliflowers are exported to:

1. Maldives

2. UAE

3. Nepal

4. Pakistan

5. UK

6. Singapore

7. Malaysia

In the year 2012-13, about 356.47 metric tonnes valued at 2.5 million were exported from the country. However, in 2011-12 the quantity was 763.34 metric tonnes valued at 7.5 million. India also exports cauliflower seeds to more than 20 countries all around the world. The main importers are Bangladesh, Pakistan, Brazil, and Japan. In the year 2012-13, the overall volume of exports was 32.17 metric tonnes valued at 17.5 million.

Our neighboring country, Pakistan alone imported around 31.59 metric tonnes in 2012-13 which is about 62 % of the entire exports of India followed by 21% from Bangladesh, 8.34 % from Brazil, and 7.46% from Japan.

Marketing

For marketing purposes, cauliflower is separated according to its size, color, quality, and variety. For the purpose of packing, the farmers as well as traders use big nets and transport them through trucks. There are two essential channels for cauliflower marketing.

• The farmers sell it to the commission agents, which comprise a major portion.

• Or they sell the whole crop before the harvest to the pre-harvest contractors.

On the whole, the commission agents or the intermediaries play a very important role in the marketing of cauliflowers in India.

Top 20 countries that grow Cauliflower and Broccoli in the World

 Problems faced by India

1. An important factor is that the productivity of cauliflower in India is very low due to various reasons like:

• lack of improved types of seeds

• lack of awareness amongst the farmers about the newest varieties 

• lack of agro-techniques

2. Due to the non-availability of the right education as well as training for the farmers about pre-and post-harvest aspects.

3. Major diseases like damping off, black rot, soft rot, and clubroot.

4.  The problem of storage facilities.

To sum up, as the technological developments in agriculture are expected to persist, turning things around seems a guarantee in countries currently struggling to achieve the desired output of vegetable produce. This means that cauliflower and broccoli production will soon be on the upward trend even in countries where the cultivation of these vegetables has not been a stronghold in the past.