India Strengthens Agricultural Ties Through Bilateral Meetings with USA, Brazil, Germany, UK, Japan, Spain, and UAE
The bilateral meetings held between India and various countries—Brazil, Japan, USA, Germany, UK, Spain, and UAE—focused on strengthening cooperation in agriculture, technology, and market access. These discussions were led by Shri Ram Nath Thakur, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare of India, along with key representatives from India, including Ambassador Shri Suresh Reddy and Shri Franklin L. Khobung, Joint Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
1. India-Japan Bilateral Meeting (12 September 2024)
- A bilateral meeting was held between Shri Thakur and Japan’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, Shri Sakamoto.
- Both sides discussed cooperation in technology, food processing, cold storage, sustainability, and productivity of agriculture in India.
- Market access issues were also raised, with India requesting expedited market access for Indian Pomegranates and grapes to Japan, while Japan requested market access for Japanese cedar.
2. India-Brazil Bilateral Meeting (13 September 2024)
- A meeting was held between Shri Thakur and Brazil’s Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Shri Carlos Fávaro.
- Discussions centered around science and technology cooperation, particularly related to ethanol production technology for climate change action.
- Both countries agreed to finalize a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ICAR India and EMBRAPA Brazil before the upcoming G20 summit in November.
- India sought market access for various agricultural products like Sorghum, Rapeseed, Cotton, Wheat, Barley, and Onion bulbs, while Brazil sought access to Indian markets for citrus fruits.
3. India-USA Bilateral Meeting (13 September 2024)
- Shri Thakur met with Ms. Xochitl Torres Small, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, USA.
- Both sides agreed to work on areas like climate-smart agriculture, agricultural productivity growth, innovation, forecasting & production reporting, and agricultural credit.
- Market access issues were discussed, with India raising the topic of fruits and vegetables and the USA requesting expedited access for Alfalfa hay fodder.
- They also agreed to strengthen cooperation under the USDA-MA&FW Dialogue initiative and USDA committed to sharing experiences in the crop insurance sector.
4. India-Germany Bilateral Meeting (13 September 2024)
- Shri Thakur met with Ms. Ophelia Nick, Parliamentary State Secretary from Germany.
- Both sides praised the ongoing regular engagements of the Indo-German Joint Working Group (JWG) and agreed to progress in sectors such as agroecology, organic farming, Artificial Intelligence in farming, and support for small farmers.
- Germany suggested organizing the next Indo-German JWG meeting in parallel with the Aahar Food Fair in New Delhi and extended invitations for Indian participation in the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture in Berlin.
5. India-UK Bilateral Meeting (13 September 2024)
- A bilateral meeting was held between Shri Thakur and UK’s Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, Shri Daniel Zeichner.
- Discussions focused on transforming the agricultural food system into sustainable agriculture, along with research, precision breeding, gene editing, and extension services.
- The UK expressed interest in learning from India’s KVKs (Krishi Vigyan Kendras) and ATMA (Agriculture Technology Management Agency) model and proposed joint workshops with ICAR.
- Both sides discussed establishing an institutional mechanism to strengthen the Indo-UK agricultural partnership.
6. India-Spain Bilateral Meeting (13 September 2024)
- Shri Thakur met with Spain’s Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, H.E. Luis Planas.
- Shri Planas appreciated India for approving the veterinary certificate for dairy products and requested cooperation on certificates for meat and cold storage for oranges.
- Both sides discussed potential cooperation in areas like new genomic techniques, water use efficiency, climate-resilient agriculture, and technical solutions for seeds and plants.
- Spain invited Shri Thakur to visit Madrid to further these discussions.
7. India-UAE Bilateral Meeting (12 September 2024)
- Shri Thakur met with H.E. Dr. Amna Al Dahak from the Ministry of Environment and Climate of the UAE.
- The discussion centered on increasing trade in the agricultural sector and potential collaboration in areas such as research, technology, vertical farming, and high-yield technologies.
- Both sides expressed a mutual interest in promoting sustainable agriculture and resilient food systems.
These meetings emphasized deepening agricultural cooperation, improving market access, and leveraging technology to address agricultural challenges, with a focus on sustainability and innovation across sectors.