Current Affairs Topics Archive
International Relations Economics Polity & Governance Environment & Ecology Science & Technology Internal Security Geography Social Issues Art & Culture Modern History

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

February 08, 2026 5 min read Economics GS3 (Indian Economy Agriculture)
On This Page ▼

What Happened

  • Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan declared that India will stop importing fruits, vegetables, and flowers, asserting that the country has made historic progress in production levels.
  • The Minister addressed a review meeting at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), emphasizing the goal of eliminating imports in these sectors.
  • Chouhan cited avocados as an example of a crop where India is shifting from import dependence to domestic production, with similar targets for dragon fruits and other high-value produce.
  • The Minister highlighted post-harvest management as a major challenge, particularly shelf life of perishable horticultural produce, and urged ICAR scientists to develop farmer-friendly varieties.
  • Researchers and regulatory agencies were directed to compress the timeline for approving new crop varieties to approximately three years while maintaining scientific rigor and safety standards.

Static Topic Bridges

India's Horticulture Sector: Production and Policy Framework

India is the second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables globally (after China). Horticulture production has overtaken foodgrain production in terms of total tonnage in recent years. The sector is governed by the National Horticulture Mission (NHM, launched 2005-06, restructured as Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture or MIDH in 2014-15), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Ministry of Agriculture. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), established in 1929 and reorganized in 1965 as an autonomous body under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), coordinates horticultural research through specialized institutes.

  • India's total horticulture production in 2024-25 (third advance estimate): 369 million tonnes, up from 354.7 million tonnes in the previous year
  • Fruits production: 118.76 million tonnes (5.12% growth); vegetables: 215.68 million tonnes (4.09% growth)
  • Total area under horticulture: 29.49 million hectares (2024-25)
  • Productivity: 12.56 metric tonnes per hectare (2024-25), up from 12.10 MT/ha in 2019-20
  • India is the largest producer of bananas, mangoes, papayas, and okra; second-largest producer of potatoes, onions, and tomatoes
  • MIDH covers: fruits, vegetables, root and tuber crops, mushrooms, spices, flowers, aromatic plants, coconut, cashew, cocoa, and bamboo
  • Funding pattern: 60:40 (Centre:State) for general states; 90:10 for NE and hill states

Connection to this news: The Minister's push for horticultural self-reliance builds on a sector that has achieved significant production growth but still faces challenges in post-harvest losses (estimated at 25-30% for fruits and vegetables), cold chain infrastructure, and variety development.

Post-Harvest Losses and Cold Chain Infrastructure

India loses approximately 25-30% of its fruits and vegetables production annually due to inadequate post-harvest infrastructure. The National Centre for Cold-chain Development (NCCD), established in 2012 under the Ministry of Agriculture, assesses cold chain capacity and gaps. The Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PM-KSAMPADA), launched in 2016 as a comprehensive package under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, addresses the entire supply chain from farm gate to retail.

  • Post-harvest losses estimated at Rs 90,000-92,000 crore annually for fruits and vegetables
  • India's cold storage capacity: approximately 39-41 million tonnes as of 2024, dominated by potato storage (approximately 75% of capacity)
  • Multi-commodity cold chain remains underdeveloped, particularly for tropical fruits and leafy vegetables
  • NCCD recommended cold chain infrastructure requirement: additional 35,000+ pack houses, 70,000+ reefer vehicles, 60,000+ ripening chambers
  • PM-KSAMPADA scheme components: Mega Food Parks, Integrated Cold Chain, Food Processing Infrastructure, Backward and Forward Linkages
  • Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF, launched 2020): Rs 1 lakh crore financing facility at concessional interest for post-harvest management infrastructure at farm-gate and aggregation points
  • Operation Greens (extended as TOP to Total scheme): provides transport and storage subsidies for perishable produce to prevent price volatility

Connection to this news: The Minister's emphasis on extending shelf life reflects the fundamental bottleneck in India's horticulture sector -- production has grown substantially, but without proportionate investment in cold chain and processing, post-harvest losses continue to undermine farmer incomes and self-reliance goals.

Agricultural Research and Variety Development in India

India's agricultural research system is anchored by ICAR, which operates 113 institutes, 71 All India Coordinated Research Projects (AICRPs), and the Agricultural Universities system. New crop varieties in India must undergo multi-location trials and registration with the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority (PPV&FRA), established under the PPV&FR Act, 2001. The Act balances breeders' rights with farmers' traditional rights to save, use, exchange, and sell farm-saved seeds.

  • ICAR: 113 institutes, 71 AICRPs, 25 Network Projects, managing the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) network of 731 centers
  • PPV&FR Act, 2001: India's sui generis system for plant variety protection (as required under TRIPS Article 27.3(b))
  • The Act recognizes farmers' rights (Section 39), breeders' rights (Section 24-28), and researchers' rights (Section 30)
  • Typical variety development timeline: 8-12 years from crossing to commercial release; the Minister has urged compressing this to approximately 3 years
  • National Seed Policy 2002 governs seed production and certification; a new Seed Bill has been proposed to update the Seeds Act, 1966
  • ICAR-IIHR (Bengaluru) is the nodal institute for horticultural research, working on variety development, biotechnology, and post-harvest technology
  • India has developed over 6,000 crop varieties through public sector research

Connection to this news: Faster variety development timelines are critical for achieving self-reliance in high-value horticulture crops (avocados, dragon fruits, berries) where India currently depends on imports because suitable domestically adapted varieties are not commercially available.

Key Facts & Data

  • India's horticulture production (2024-25): 369 million tonnes (fruits: 118.76 MT, vegetables: 215.68 MT)
  • Area under horticulture: 29.49 million hectares (2024-25)
  • Post-harvest losses in fruits and vegetables: approximately 25-30% (approximately Rs 90,000 crore annually)
  • India's cold storage capacity: approximately 39-41 million tonnes (approximately 75% for potatoes)
  • ICAR network: 113 institutes, 731 KVKs, 71 AICRPs
  • MIDH funding pattern: 60:40 (Centre:State) for general states; 90:10 for NE and hill states
  • Agriculture Infrastructure Fund: Rs 1 lakh crore (launched 2020)
  • India is the second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables globally (after China)
  • India is the largest global producer of bananas, mangoes, papayas, and okra