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the state. Amongst cash crops, potato and ginger are important in the cropping pattern. Among
various fruit crops in the state, apple occupies the prime position followed by other temperate
fruits and citrus. In addition, there is cultivation of medicinal plants and herbs, which is also
being promoted by the government. Cropping intensity of the state is over 175 %.Horticulture in
the upper reaches and mid hills and cereals in the valley are dominant. Himachal Pradesh
Government and the farmers have seized this opportunity and today this Pradesh has emerged as
the ‘Horticultural State of India’. Apple is the major horticultural crop, the production of which
was about 777.13 lakh tonne.

Fertilizer consumption

Consumption of total fertilizer nutrients in Himachal Pradesh was 56,492 tonnes during 2016-17.
Nutrient- wise consumption of N, P 2O 5 and K 2O was 34,559, 10,651 and 11,282 tonnes,
respectively while per hectare consumption of total fertilizer nutrients was 61.5 kg during 2016-
17. The consumption of ZnSO 4 was 50 and 100 tonnes in Kharif and Rabi season, respectively.