Chandigarh is an intensely urbanized territory, and agriculture plays only a marginal role in its economy. Before the city was built in the 1950s, the area consisted of several agricultural villages. Today, agricultural activity is mostly confined to the periphery of the Union Territory.
The small amount of cultivable land is primarily used for growing wheat and fodder crops. However, the administration places a heavy emphasis on horticulture, forestry, and landscaping. The city maintains massive government nurseries and botanical gardens to support its vast network of parks and tree-lined avenues, making urban forestry far more prominent than traditional agriculture.