By IANS,
New Delhi: India and Israel Tuesday agreed to enhance cooperation in agricultural research and boost bilateral trade by easing regulations and removing barriers.”Agricultural cooperation with Israel can and will propel India to become a superpower in food production and supply,” Israel’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Orit Noked, who is on a official visit to India, told reporters here.
“We place Israeli technologies entirely at the disposal of India. The implementation of these technologies will surely benefit Indian farmers by enhancing their income,” she said.
Noked discussed the possibilities of furthering bilateral cooperation in the field of agriculture with her Indian counterpart Sharad Pawar.
Both ministers discussed a number of topics for potential cooperation including: dairy production, post-harvest technologies, protected cultivation, micro-irrigation and fertigation, food processing and poultry, according to joint statement issued after the meeting.
The two countries have agreed to set up a joint working team to finalise a bilateral agricultural action plan.
Earlier, addressing a business event organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci), Noked emphaised on the need for eliminating trade barriers.
“The two countries should jointly facilitate business by eliminating barriers, easing regulations, identifying lines of credit,” she said.
The visiting minister said the two countries should also devise a mechanism to avoid double taxation as it hinders trade and investments.
“Israel has been a laboratory for development of agricultural technology. We know how to adapt ourselves to the conditions and special circumstances around the world, including those in India,” she said.
She said India could learn a lot from Israel’s development in dairy projects.
Sanjeev Chopra, joint secretary in India’s ministry of agriculture, said Israel had revolutionised its agriculture by making barren land hugely productive.
India could learn from Israel’s cutting edge technologies to increase agricultural productivity, he added.