New Delhi, Feb. 1 -- Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday proposed a Coconut Promotion Scheme aimed at increasing production and improving productivity to boost India's competitiveness in coconut cultivation.

Speaking while presenting the Union Budget 2026-27, Sitharaman said the scheme will focus on major coconut-growing states and include measures such as replacing non-productive trees with new, high-yielding saplings.

"To further enhance competitiveness in coconut production, I propose a coconut promotion scheme to increase production and enhance productivity through various interventions, including replacing non-productive trees with new saplings or plants of varieties in major coconut-growing states," Sitharaman said...