The Hindu Business Line : India, New Zealand for increasing farm ties

Meeting place: Mr Sharad Pawar, Minister for Agriculture & Consumer affairs, and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, New Zealand, Mr Jim Anderton, during a meeting in the Capital on Monday. —

Our Bureau

New Delhi, March 24 India and New Zealand on Monday agreed to increase co-operation in agriculture and sort out issues relating to bio-security at the earliest.

In the delegation-level discussions held here today, the Agriculture Minister, Mr Sharad Pawar, proposed to have an ‘umbrella agreement’ to raise the level of co-operation and expand co-operation in the agriculture sector.

The proposed umbrella agreement between Ministry of Agriculture, India and Ministry of Agriculture, New Zealand, will cover agriculture and allied activities including food processing, agricultural research, phytosanitary issues relating to trade in plants and animal products, engagement of private sector of both the countries and exchange of information in the areas of mutual interest, said an official release.

The proposed agreement would supplement each other’s efforts being made by the two governments to strengthen co-operation and encourage trade. The Agriculture, Bio-Security, Fisheries and Forestry Minister of New Zealand, Mr Jim Anderton, is visiting India.

India and New Zealand already have an MoU on plant quarantine issues. A tripartite MoU among Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Land Care Research and Massey University, New Zealand, is being discussed and will be signed as soon as all the clearances are available. The visiting New Zealand team is scheduled to hold discussions with the Agriculture Minister of Maharashtra later this week.

More Stories on : Foreign Trade | Agriculture

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page