On May 8-11, 2022, an Indian delegation under the leadership of Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) was on 4-day visit to Israel on the invitation from Oded Forer, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Israel for bilateral meetings to discuss various issues related to agriculture between two countries.
India-Israel Agriculture Ministers meeting at Jerusalem
Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar met Israel’s Minister Oded Forer at the Knesset (Israel’s Parliament) in Jerusalem. Both leaders discussed various issues related to modern agro techniques, capacity building, transfer of knowledge know-how and support in the fields of agriculture, water management, environment and rural development, keeping in view the scope and potential of agriculture development in both the countries
Key Points:
i.Both nations agreed to further strengthened the ongoing bilateral partnership through mutual visits and sharing of experiences.
- India and Israel celebrate 30 years of establishment of diplomatic relations.
ii.Israel has shown his interest in upgrading the Centres of Excellence (CoE) established by Israel in India.
- Currently there are 29 fully operational COE in India providing vital information on emerging technologies in the agriculture sector to boost farmers’ yield.
iii.Both sides have agreed to complete the process of finalizing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) by the end of June 2022.
Visit of Indian delegation to Be’er Milka Farm of Indian Farmer in Israel
The Indian delegation visited Tel Aviv to a desert boutique farm, Be’er Milka owned by a farmer of Indian origin Mr. Sharon Cherry in Negev desert area. The farmer has adopted modern technologies with the technical support of Ramat Negev Agro Research Centre and is growing vegetables, fruits and super food in Negev desert.
75 Indian villages to be shaped with Israeli Cooperation
In order to take Indo-Israel cooperation to the next level in the field of agriculture, 75 Indian villages will be shaped with Israeli cooperation to mark India’s 75th Independence anniversary.
Visit of Indian Delegation to ARO, Volcani Institute, Israel
The Indian delegation also visited Agricultural Research Organisation (ARO) Volcani Institute under the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development which have special expertise in agriculture under arid conditions, on marginal soils, irrigation through effluent and saline water and minimization of produce losses by using latest pest control and post-harvest storage methods.
- There Indian Union Minister met with Volcani’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program participants from India.
- Israel’s Gene Bank for Agricultural Crops is also located on the ARO Volcani Center campus.
Other Key Visits by Indian Delegation:
i.Indian delegation visited facilities of Green 2000 – Agricultural Equipment and Know How Ltd. and NETAFIM Ltd. which are engaged in planning, set-up, consultation and on-going management of various projects in different spheres of agriculture and Micro & smart Irrigation Systems (drip irrigation) usage to paddy cultivation, sugarcane and cotton respectively.
ii.They also visited Ganei Khna’an near Kibbutz Naan where drone agriculture technology was demonstrated to them with the combination of advanced mapping and photography.
iii.The delegation visited and held discussions with the MASHAV’s International Agricultural Training Centre (MATC), Shefayim which specializes in capacity building, transfer of knowledge and professional support in the fields of agriculture, water management, environment and rural development.
- MASHAV is the agency for International Development Cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel.
- It is responsible for the design, coordination and implementation of the State of Israel’s worldwide development and cooperation programmes in developing countries.
iii.The Agriculture Minister has roundtable discussion with Israeli Agritech Startup companies at Israel Export & International Cooperation Institute, Tel-Aviv.
iv.To give further impetus to micro irrigation, a dedicated Micro Irrigation Fund has been set up with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Government of India to help States in mobilizing additional resources for expanding the coverage of Micro Irrigation.
Recent Related News:
i.Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched the central government’s ‘Meri Policy, Mere Hath’, a doorstep crop insurance policies distribution drive under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in Sanwer tehsil of Indore district, Madhya Pradesh, to deliver crop insurance policies to farmers.
ii.Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar released a book titled ‘’Indian Agriculture towards 2030: Pathways for Enhancing Farmers’ Income, Nutritional Security and Sustainable Food and Farm Systems’’ at the event. It is published by Springer Publications.
About Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW):
Union Minister– Narendra Singh Tomar (Constituency – Morena, Madhya Pradesh)
Ministers of state – Shobha Karandlaje (Constituency – Udupi Chikmagalur, Karnataka); Kailash Choudhary (Constituency – Barmer, Rajasthan)
