Bengal invites pvt players for horticulture value chain boost
Times of India | 8 July 2026
Kolkata: The state govt is looking to rope in private players to develop mango, tomato and pineapple clusters across Bengal over the next three years, as it steps up efforts to boost the state’s horticulture sector and strengthen value chains.
The clusters will be developed under the National Horticulture Board (NHB) scheme for commercial horticulture development through production and post-harvest management of horticulture crops.
State horticulture and food processing minister Kalyan Chakraborti said mango clusters would be set up in Malda, Murshidabad and Nadia, along with export promotion centres, within the next two years. Tomato and pineapple clusters are expected to be developed over a three-year period in north Bengal and districts such as East and West Midnapore, North 24 Parganas and Howrah.
“The private partners will be selected by the NHB. The mango clusters will promote good agricultural practices in collaboration with ICAR-Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture,” the minister said.
Following the selection of private partners, the cluster development projects will be implemented jointly by the state govt and the NHB.
“The govt has planned tomato clusters covering Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri, Siliguri and Uttar Dinajpur with pineapple as additional crop. Similarly, tomato will be additional crop for the clusters that will be developed in East and West Midnapore, North 24 Parganas and Howrah,” he said.
The state also plans to undertake floriculture development projects in East and West Midnapore, Nadia, North 24 Parganas and Howrah under central and state schemes.
“Our focus is on NHB-accredited nurseries and making quality planting materials available to producers. We are planning to set up cold chain systems and market linkages for cut flowers,” the minister said.
Alongside the cluster development programme, the state is planning to expand fruit and vegetable cultivation in the western districts of Birbhum, Bankura, Purulia, West Midnapore, Jhargram and West Burdwan by improving tribal farmers’ access to the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund and financing under the PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme.