Focus on high-value crops, fisheries, PM Modi urges farmers, agri-investors

Addressing a webinar here on Friday (March 6, 2026) on the budget proposals for the rural economy and agriculture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged agri-entrepreneurs to go beyond investing in storage and increase innovation and investment in processing, supply chains, agri-tech, agri-fintech, and exports. Mr. Modi asked farmers to focus on export-oriented and high-value crops.

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The Prime Minister said that from food grains and pulses to oilseeds, the country has achieved record production. He said new energy must be infused into agriculture, and the budget for 2026-27 has taken new steps in that direction. Citing that global demand is changing, he said it was essential to discuss how to make the country’s farming export-oriented.

“This year’s budget offers countless new opportunities in this regard. It sets the direction for increasing productivity and boosting export strength. The budget focuses on high-value agriculture. Regional-specific promotion has been proposed for products like coconut, cashew, cocoa, and sandalwood,” he said, adding that coconut trees have aged and lost their productivity in States like Kerala and Tamil Nadu. “To provide additional benefits to farmers in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, special emphasis has been placed on coconuts this time, which will benefit farmers in the coming days,” Mr. Modi said.

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In the fisheries sector, he said, there is huge potential for boosting exports. “Today, our reservoirs, ponds, and water bodies together produce about four lakh tonnes of fish. But there is potential for an additional 20 lakh tonnes of production. Imagine, if we add 20 lakh tonnes to the current four lakh tonnes, how much the lives of our poor fishermen will change. We have an opportunity to diversify rural income. Fisheries can become a major platform for export growth, as global demand exists,” he said.

“Hatcheries, feed, processing, branding, export, and necessary logistics — all require new business models. This is an opportunity to transform fisheries into a high-value, high-impact sector for rural prosperity, and we must all work together in this direction,” the Prime Minister said.