The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, is organizing the Zonal Agriculture Conference – South Zone in Hyderabad on September 18, 2026. The conference brings together the central government, Southern States and Union Territories, agricultural experts, ICAR institutions, progressive farmers, and other stakeholders.
Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan will attend along with Ministers of State Ram Nath Thakur and Bhagirath Choudhary. Participants include ministers and senior officials from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, and Lakshadweep.
The conference will deliberate on key priorities including Digital Agriculture and Farmer Registry, high-value horticulture and value addition, achieving self-reliance in edible oils and pulses, natural farming practices, integrated farming systems, balanced fertilizer management, and measures to check spurious pesticides and fertilizers.
States will showcase their specific innovations and best practices: Telangana will present Rythunestham, Andhra Pradesh will share its approach to weather variability, Karnataka will demonstrate improved pulse production practices, Kerala will highlight procurement and marketplace initiatives, and Tamil Nadu will showcase precision farming and high-tech agriculture approaches.
The conference aims to strengthen Centre-State coordination, facilitate sharing and replication of successful initiatives, and develop focused strategies for agricultural self-reliance, high-value horticulture development, digital and climate-resilient agriculture practices, and stronger infrastructure for storage, processing, value addition, and marketing.