India’s agriculture sector is set for a major transformation with the launch of nine ‘Clean Plant’ projects across the country, aimed at ensuring disease-free plants for farmers. Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced that three of these projects will be established in Maharashtra, specifically targeting grapes in Pune, oranges in Nagpur, and pomegranates in Solapur, with a combined investment of $36 million.
The Clean Plant program addresses a longstanding issue in horticulture where farmers face uncertainty regarding the health and productivity of plants available for cultivation. As part of the initiative, modern nurseries will be established, providing 80 million disease-free seedlings annually. Large nurseries will receive $360,000 in funding, while medium-sized ones will be allocated $180,000. India will collaborate with Israel and the Netherlands to incorporate advanced agricultural technologies into the program.
The announcement was made at the International Agri Hackathon in Pune, which was attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Fadnavis emphasized that modern technology is the key to addressing agricultural challenges amid climate change, and innovations emerging from the hackathon must be directly integrated into farming practices.
During the event, the minister celebrated Maharashtra’s role as India’s horticultural hub, recognizing its record production of grapes, pomegranates, oranges, chickpeas, and vegetables. He affirmed that India’s agricultural sector must evolve through technological advancements to remain globally competitive, underscoring the necessity of higher yields per hectare, reduced production costs, and fair market prices for farmers.
To bridge the gap between research and practical farming solutions, the government has launched the Lab to Land initiative, wherein 16,000 agricultural scientists will work directly with farmers rather than remaining confined to laboratories. The minister expressed confidence that if scientific expertise, farmer collaboration, and government support align, India will witness extraordinary progress in agriculture.
At the hackathon, startups and innovators were honored for their contributions to soil health management, farm mechanization, pest control, post-harvest technologies, and market linkages. The winners were awarded grants to scale their solutions. The event reinforced the government’s vision to make India a global food bank, with Maharashtra playing a vital role in expanding exports of Indian agricultural products.
The minister dispelled the notion that Indian youth are unwilling to pursue careers in agriculture, urging them to explore agri-tech startups and climate-adaptive seed development. He assured farmers that the government remains committed to solving their challenges, fostering resilience, and driving agricultural innovation.
With the launch of the Clean Plant program, the push for agriculture-focused technological advancements, and stronger research-farmer partnerships, India is poised to usher in a new era of environmentally sustainable and economically viable farming. The initiatives announced at the Pune Agri Hackathon reaffirm the government’s commitment to securing India’s agricultural future.
