Southern States urged to tap horticulture, export potential

Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday called for Centre-State cooperation and region-specific planning to address the challenges confronting agriculture and improve farmers’ incomes.

Addressing the Southern States Regional Agriculture Conference here, Mr. Chouhan said agricultural policies and plans had to take into account differences in agro-climatic conditions, soil, water availability and cropping patterns across States.

“Nation First” was the guiding principle of the Centre and it did not approach agricultural issues based on which political party was in power in a State, he said. The conference discussed the impact of El Niño, crop diversification and preparations for the upcoming Rabi season.

Mr. Chouhan said the deliberations should result in tangible improvements in farmers’ lives, strengthen food security, create employment opportunities and contribute to economic growth.

The Minister said food security, farmers’ livelihoods and nutrition security were the three key objectives of agricultural policy. With a population of more than 140 crore, India could not afford to depend on other countries for its food requirements, he said.

At the same time, the farmer who feeds the country should have a secure and prosperous livelihood, making an increase in farm incomes a key priority. Ensuring access to nutritious food, rather than food alone, was equally important, he said.

Emphasising the continuing importance of agriculture amid rapid technological advances, Mr. Chouhan said artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics would transform several sectors, but agriculture would remain indispensable.

Mr. Chouhan said a single agricultural plan could not adequately address the requirements of the entire country because of regional variations. The Rabi conference had consequently been expanded to two days to provide States greater opportunity to present their concerns and suggestions.

He said the challenges faced by Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat and the northeastern States were different from those confronting Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Regional conferences would help formulate solutions suited to local conditions, he said.

The Minister urged States to study successful agricultural practices adopted elsewhere and adapt them to their own conditions. The Centre would extend support, while land and farmers remained primarily within the States’ domain, he said.

Mr. Chouhan urged States to review outdated laws, rules and procedures that could be hampering farmers and citizens. “Rules are meant for people; people are not meant for rules,” he said, adding that States should communicate to the Centre any issues requiring changes at the Union government level.

The Minister highlighted the potential of southern India in horticulture, particularly in spices, coffee, cashew, cocoa and coconut. He said coconut exports had increased from ₹4,349 crore to ₹7,038 crore in a year, a growth of 62%.

He said a new coconut promotion scheme announced in the Union Budget would soon become operational and urged southern States to prepare to maximise its benefits for farmers.

Mr. Chouhan said the Free Trade Agreements entered into by India had opened opportunities for agricultural exports. States should study international demand and encourage farmers to produce crops that met global quality standards, he said.

He called for adoption of international standards across the agricultural value chain so that farmers could benefit from access to global markets.

The Southern Regional Agriculture Conference brought together representatives of the Centre, southern States and Union Territories, agricultural experts, ICAR institutions, progressive farmers and other stakeholders to discuss region-specific priorities and strengthen coordination for sustainable and resilient agriculture.