Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in the Budget 2026-27 announcements, revealed plans for a significant emphasis on high-value crops like coconut, sandalwood, cocoa, and cashew in coastal regions to uplift farmers’ incomes. The proposal includes support for Agar trees in the North East and nuts such as almonds, walnuts, and pine nuts in hilly areas. This initiative aligns with the government’s goal of enhancing farmer incomes through productivity improvements and entrepreneurship.
India, being the largest coconut producer globally, supports around 30 million people, including nearly 10 million farmers. To boost competitiveness in coconut production, a Coconut Promotion Scheme is suggested to enhance productivity by replacing old trees with new saplings in major coconut-growing states. Additionally, the Budget aims to establish a dedicated program for Indian cashew and cocoa to achieve self-reliance in raw material production, enhance export competitiveness, and elevate these products to premium global brands by 2030.
Furthermore, the Budget proposes collaboration with state governments to promote specialized cultivation and post-harvest processing to revitalize the Indian Sandalwood ecosystem. To increase farmer incomes and introduce value addition, a dedicated program is planned to rejuvenate old orchards and expand high-density cultivation of walnuts, almonds, and pine nuts, with a focus on engaging youth in these activities.
In a move to leverage technology for agricultural advancement, the Finance Minister introduced the Bharat-VISTAAR initiative, a multilingual AI tool integrating AgriStack portals and ICAR agricultural practices with AI systems. This integration aims to boost farm productivity, facilitate informed decisions for farmers, and mitigate risks by offering tailored advisory support.
