Min. of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare & Israel sign 3 year work programme

Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has been a sector where every nation wants to jump in and work for farmers – the food givers so that an efficient framework could be established benefitting them too.

Taking further the ever-growing collaboration in agriculture between Israel and India, the two Governments have given consent to ameliorate their cooperation in agriculture and signed a three-year work programme agreement for advancement in agriculture cooperation, while affirming the ever-growing bilateral partnership and identifying the centrality of agriculture and water sectors in the bilateral relationship.

India and Israel are adopting the ‘Indo-Israel Agricultural Project Centres of Excellence’ and ‘Indo-Israel Villages of Excellence’.

MIDH, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, and MASHAV – Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation – are leading Israel’s largest G2G cooperation, with 29 operational Centres of Excellence (COEs) throughout India in 12 States, espousing Advanced-Intensive agriculture farms with Israeli Agro-Technology designed as per the local conditions. The Centres of Excellence generate knowledge, exhibit best practices and train farmers. Every year, these COEs produce over 25 million fine quality vegetable seedlings, over 387 thousand quality fruit plants and train over 1.2 lakh farmers about the most recent technology in the sector of horticulture.

Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare declared that the agriculture sector always remains a priority for India. Due to the agrarian policies of Government of India, there is a definite change in the lives of the farmers and the agriculture sector. Increasing the farmers’ income is the determination of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The minister said that India and Israel have had bilateral relations since 1993 in the agricultural sector. This is the 5th IIAP.

“So far, we have successfully completed 4 action plans. This new work programme will further strengthen the bilateral relations and mutual cooperation between the two countries in the field of agriculture for the benefit of the farming community. The COEs established under these Israeli-based action plans are playing an important role in doubling farmers’ income. The exchange of technology between India and Israel will greatly improve the productivity and quality of horticulture, thereby increasing the income of farmers”, he further added.

Sanjay Agarwal, secretary, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare apprised- “These Centers of Excellence established under Indo-Israel Agriculture Action Plan (IIAP) have become epicentres of transformation in horticulture sector. Our focus during the new work programme will be to convert the villages surrounding these COEs into Villages of Excellence through massive outreach programmes”.

Ambassador, Dr Ron Malka informed- “The three-year work program (2021-2023) reflects the strength of our growing partnership and will benefit local farmers both through the Centers of Excellence and the Villages of Excellence.”

The work programme will target to grow existing Centres of Excellence, set up new centers, increase CoE’s value chain, bring the Centres of Excellence into the self-sufficient mode, and motivate private sector companies and partnership.

As for the ‘Indo-Israel Villages of Excellence’, this is a new concept focussed at developing a model ecosystem in agriculture across eight states, alongside 13 Centers of Excellence within 75 villages. The program will encourage the increment in the net income and improve the livelihood of the individual farmer, transforming conventional farms into modern-intensive farms in line with IIAP standards. Large-scale and complete value chain approach with economic sustainability, embedded with Israeli novel technologies and methodologies will be tailored to suit the local conditions. The IIVOE programme will aim mainly on: (1) Modern Agriculture infrastructure, (2) Capacity Building, (3) Market linkage.

The work programme signing ceremony also marked the presence of Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Parshottam Rupala and Shri Kailash Choudhary along with Senior officers of Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India and Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India.