Centre to explore possibility of changing rules on sandalwood cutting, transportation: Union Agriculture Minister

In an effort to increase acreage under sandalwood, the Centre will look at ways to change rules pertaining to growing, cutting and transporting the trees, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister for Agriculture said at Chennai on Saturday (March 7, 2026).

Addressing coconut farmers at a post-Budget coconut stakeholders meet, he said sandalwood can be an intercrop like coco, cashew or even coffee. “Farmers have expressed the inability to grow sandalwood due to restrictions. They said the numbers are also dwindling and sought help to increase the sandalwood tree population,” he added.