Union minister says India will stop imports of fruits, vegetables and flowers
India’s union minister for rural development, agriculture and farmers’ welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has said the country has set a target to become self-reliant in the production of fruits, vegetables, and flowers and stop importing within these sectors.
According to a report from Press Trust India, Chouhan addressed a review meeting on 8 February with officials at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) with the message.
“Our target is simple. We will not import fruits, flowers, and vegetables. We have to become self-reliant in these areas,” he said.
According to the Asiafruit Statistics Handbook, fruit imports make up less than 1 per cent of India’s total consumption. However, this share was gradually rising and increased by 7 per cent year-on-year in 2024 to 863,690 tonnes.
Chouhan called India’s current production levels “historic” and called out the country’s progress in cultivating crops it was previously dependent on importing.
“We were importing avocado; now we have started producing it,” he said.
Chouhan said this approach would need to expand to other emerging crops, including dragon fruit.
“I have told officials to identify fruits which have to be produced in India,” he said. “We will encourage farmers to grow them.”
Throughout the address, Chouhan confirmed the Indian government would focus on identifying high-demand crops and ensure profitability for growers.
“They will take up production only when it is profitable,” he said.
While encouraging domestic production of fruit was the main focus of the address, Chouhan also spoke on India’s vegetable production.
“For a self-reliant India, we have to be self-reliant in vegetables and flowers as well. We will not import them,” he said
