The Department of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Government of Tamil Nadu, was established to promote the development of horticulture in the state. Initially a wing of the Agriculture Department, it became a separate department in 1979. The department focuses on increasing the area and productivity of horticultural crops, ensuring nutritional security, and implementing various schemes and missions aimed at improving production, processing, value addition, and marketing of horticultural produce. The Tamil Nadu Horticulture Development Agency (TANHODA) was established to implement these schemes efficiently.