India has approached Israel to secure market access for ten agricultural commodities, including onion, potato, garlic, green chilies, turmeric, pineapple, mango, pomegranate, grapes, and okra seeds. This request was made during a bilateral meeting between Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his Israeli counterpart, Avi Dichter.
In the meeting, Dichter stated, "On day-to-day trade, we are going to communicate to both Plant Protection Indian Israel Services (PPIS) in order to make sure that we shall be able to increase merchandise shipments from one side to the another."
The two countries signed a bilateral agreement to enhance agricultural cooperation, discussing a work plan for 2024-26. India expressed particular interest in exporting onions and green chilies to Israel and plans to send technical information soon.
India has also requested Israel to expedite granting market access for the remaining eight commodities. A joint working group will be established to develop a roadmap focusing on research and development activities with Israeli agency Mashav. This project aims to develop climate-resilient seeds and improve seed quality for farmers.
Chouhan noted the operational status of 35 Centers of Excellence across India and mentioned, "We discussed many different issues. A MoU was also signed with Israel. The deliberations were fruitful."
Dichter emphasized addressing climate change, stating, "We just decided to translate the agreement into actionable items by creating working groups and focusing on improving seeds for wheat and other issues."
Before the meeting, the Israeli delegation visited the Indian Agricultural Research Institute complex to learn about the Indo-Israel project on R&D and demonstration farms established in 1996.
Source: Business Standard