India's Path to Agricultural Self-Reliance: No More Imports of Fruits, Vegetables, and Flowers

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan emphasized India's goal to achieve self-reliance in producing fruits, vegetables, and flowers, eliminating the need for imports. The focus is on boosting domestic profitability and addressing post-harvest challenges like shelf life, with an overarching aim for a self-sufficient agricultural sector.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced India's goal of self-reliance in the production of fruits, vegetables, and flowers on Sunday. The minister addressed a review meeting at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), emphasizing the aim to eliminate imports in these sectors.

Chouhan outlined the government's strategy, focusing on high-demand crops and ensuring domestic production remains beneficial for farmers. He cited significant progress in current production levels and called for extending this approach to emerging crops like dragon fruits, urging officials to identify critical fruits for local cultivation.

Highlighting challenges like post-harvest shelf life, Chouhan emphasized the importance of developing farmer-friendly varieties. He stressed that achieving agricultural self-reliance is crucial for a self-sufficient India and directed efforts to enhance profitability for farmers while increasing the shelf life of crops.

(With inputs from agencies.)