Southern States Must Capitalize on Horticulture Export Boom: Centre

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has urged southern states to leverage their horticultural advantages and tap into growing export markets, underscoring the need for coordinated planning between the Centre and state governments. The minister emphasized that region-specific agricultural strategies could unlock significant economic opportunities while addressing food and nutrition security challenges across the country.

Chouhan stressed the importance of crop diversification as a key driver for increasing farm incomes, particularly in horticulture-rich states. The southern region, with its favorable climatic conditions and established farming practices, is positioned to become a major supplier of high-value horticultural produce both domestically and internationally.

The call for enhanced cooperation reflects the Centre's broader push to transform India's agricultural landscape through targeted interventions and state-level collaboration. Officials indicated that synchronized efforts in infrastructure development, market linkages, and export facilitation could position southern states as global leaders in horticulture production.

The initiative is part of a wider strategy to strengthen agricultural productivity while ensuring sustainable livelihoods for farmers across the region. State governments have been asked to develop comprehensive action plans aligned with national agricultural goals and export promotion priorities.