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Informist, Thursday, May 7, 2026

 

NEW DELHI – Scientific institutions under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, exporters, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, and other agencies will jointly form a task force to address issues faced by fruit producers and exporters and prepare a time-bound action plan to enhance farmers' income, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Thursday.

 

Addressing the 'Fruit Horizon 2026' conference organised at ICAR–Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture in Lucknow, Chouhan said India must move beyond merely increasing fruit production and focus on quality, shelf life, processing, logistics, and export standards to establish a stronger identity in the global fruit market, according to a government release.

 

Agriculture, he said, could no longer remain confined to farm-level production alone and stressed the need to strengthen the entire value chain from production to processing, marketing and exports.

 

Interacting with farmers, exporters and stakeholders from the horticulture ecosystem, Chouhan said improving fruit quality was essential for India to strengthen its position in global markets. He said special emphasis must now be placed on enhancing shelf life, maintaining quality during exports, and ensuring production aligned with international standards.

 

The proposed task force will work towards resolving bottlenecks faced by producers and exporters and ensure concrete measures are implemented to improve export readiness and raise farmers' earnings.

 

Chouhan also said India must focus on producing premium-quality fruits with "zero rejection" standards to become globally competitive. He added that the horticulture sector could achieve higher growth through modern technology, better post-harvest management, pack houses, processing infrastructure, and practical standard operating procedures for exports, according to the release.

 

The conference also highlighted efforts by the National Horticulture Board to develop export-oriented horticulture clusters and strengthen irradiation and integrated post-harvest infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh. "Infrastructure linked to Noida International Airport would support the growth of fruit exports from the state," the release said.  End

 

Reported by Pallavi Singhal

Edited by Avishek Dutta

 

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