India will stop importing fruits, vegetables, flowers: Union Minister Chouhan

Bengaluru: Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday said India aims to achieve self-reliance in the production of fruits, vegetables, and flowers, asserting that imports in these sectors would no longer be necessary.

Addressing a review meeting with officials at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) here, Chouhan said the focus was on identifying high-demand crops and ensuring their domestic production is profitable for farmers.

Outlining the government's approach, he said, "Two or three things are our target. We will not import fruits, flowers, and vegetables. We have to become self-reliant in this field."

The Union Minister for Rural Development, Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare noted that India had already made significant progress, calling current production levels "historic."

Referring to crops previously dependent on imports, Chouhan said, "We were importing avocado; now we have started producing it."

He stressed the need to extend this approach to other emerging crops, adding, "We have to become self-reliant in dragon fruits."

He said officials had been directed to identify fruits that must be produced domestically and to promote their cultivation among farmers.

"I have told officials to identify fruits which have to be produced in India. We will encourage farmers to grow them," he said, underlining that profitability would be the key driver.

"They will take up production only when it is profitable," he added.

On vegetables, Chouhan said India does not face any compulsion to import.

"In terms of vegetables, there is no situation requiring imports," he said.

Highlighting post-harvest challenges, the minister said shelf life remained a major concern for farmers.

"Another problem faced by our farmers is shelf life. They want to increase the shelf life of tomatoes," he said, adding that similar demands were emerging for other crops.

"Now they are demanding an increase in custard apple's shelf life," he said.

Reiterating the broader vision, Chouhan said self-reliance in agriculture was essential for a self-reliant India.

"For a self-reliant India, we have to be self-reliant in vegetables and flowers as well. We will not import them," he said, adding that research would focus on farmer-friendly varieties capable of delivering profits.