Maharashtra Aims To Make Indian Pomegranates Global Brand, Calls For Focus On Quality And Exports

Mumbai: Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane has called for coordinated efforts by farmers, scientists, entrepreneurs and the government to establish Indian pomegranates as a high-quality, safe and reliable product in the global market.

Speaking at the inauguration of the International Pomegranate Conference-2026 at YASHADA in Pune, Bharane said increasing production alone would not be sufficient. Greater focus was needed on quality, productivity, exports, processing and value addition to improve farmers’ incomes.

Maharashtra Leads Production

Maharashtra currently accounts for around 1.05 lakh hectares of pomegranate cultivation, producing approximately 12.24 lakh metric tonnes annually. The state contributes nearly 43% of India’s total pomegranate production.

Bharane highlighted challenges faced by growers, including disease and pest attacks, particularly oily disease, unpredictable weather, fluctuating market prices and difficulties in exports. He stressed the need to address why farmers often fail to get adequate returns despite good production.

He also called for strengthening the entire value chain, including post-harvest management, cold storage, processing and value addition.

The three-day international conference, being held from September 6 to 8, has attracted over 2,000 delegates, including scientists from Italy, the US, Sri Lanka and Nepal, besides growers and experts from several Indian states.

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