Presenting the Agriculture Budget in the Assembly, Agriculture-Farmers' Welfare Minister Vinoth said the government would implement a Quality Assurance and Export Promotion scheme during 2026-27 at an outlay of Rs 8.43 crore.

The initiative will be rolled out across 23 crop clusters covering 3,000 acres, benefiting farmers cultivating mango, guava, tomato, moringa and small onion.

Under the programme, farmers will receive capacity-building training, technical guidance and the necessary infrastructure to adopt Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and produce pesticide residue-free fruits and vegetables that comply with international quality standards.

Vinoth said consignments are often rejected by importing countries due to pesticide residues, resulting in financial losses for both farmers and exporters. The new initiative seeks to address the issue by strengthening quality assurance at the farm level and promoting scientific production methods.

The government will also facilitate market linkages between growers and exporters to improve access to premium domestic and overseas markets, enabling farmers to realise better prices for export-quality produce.

The Minister said improving quality standards was essential to enhancing the competitiveness of Tamil Nadu's horticulture sector in global markets. Besides reducing export rejections, the initiative is expected to boost farmers' incomes by creating a reliable supply chain for residue-free produce and strengthening the State's presence in high-value international markets.