India's free trade agreements are opening international markets for its farmers, Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told the Southern Regional Agriculture Conference in Hyderabad, calling for a detailed assessment of the agreements to identify which farm products are in demand abroad and to align domestic production with them, Global Agriculture reported from the ministry's account.

"Markets of the world are opening up for India, and this is an opportunity for farmers," Chouhan said. He said the FTAs have eased market access for fruit, vegetables and grains and that production strategies should increasingly take international quality standards and consumer requirements into account, with farmers encouraged to grow to those specifications.

The minister singled out southern India's potential in high-value horticulture, particularly spices, coffee, cashew, cocoa and coconut, as contributors to both farm incomes and nutritional security. Exports of coconut and coconut-based products rose from ₹4,349 crore to ₹7,038 crore in one year, a 62% increase, he said, and the government has announced a new coconut promotion scheme; Coconut Development Board figures cited by the government put 2024-25 exports at ₹4,349.03 crore, up 25% on ₹3,469.44 crore the year before. He urged southern states to prepare for the coconut initiative, rejuvenate ageing plantations and get ready for schemes covering cashew and cocoa.

Chouhan argued that India's diverse agro-climatic conditions make region-specific planning essential, since states differ in climate, soil, water and cropping systems; the conference, attended by the Centre, southern states and union territories, ICAR institutions, experts and progressive farmers, covered digital agriculture and the Farmer Registry, high-value horticulture and value addition, self-reliance in edible oils and pulses, natural farming, integrated farming systems, balanced fertiliser use and action against spurious pesticides and fertilisers.

He set out three priorities: food security for a population of more than 140 crore with less dependence on outside sources, livelihood security for the farmers who supply it, and nutritional security, where horticultural crops can diversify diets. Artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics will keep transforming agriculture, he said, but production will still rest on farmers and natural resources. He asked states to review outdated laws and procedures, flag issues needing central intervention and share best practices, and said Telangana would receive support for 200,000 houses under the rural housing scheme, with the first instalment already handed over.

Source: Global Agriculture