Agri Secretary Calls for Enhanced Collaboration Between India and JICA in the Farm Sector

In a significant development to strengthen Indo-Japanese ties in agriculture, Takuro Takeuchi, Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in India, met with Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare (DA&FW), at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi. Dr. Chaturvedi congratulated Takeuchi on his recent appointment and shared enthusiasm for increased collaboration between India and Japan, especially in agriculture and allied fields.

Dr. Chaturvedi highlighted the crucial role of individual states in driving India’s agricultural development, with three active JICA-supported projects already in progress in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Haryana. He conveyed the potential for expanding such initiatives to additional states to support broader rural development goals.

Referencing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of India as a global food basket, Dr. Chaturvedi outlined three strategic priorities to modernize Indian agriculture: promoting export-oriented, value-added horticultural products, advancing precision agriculture through IoT and AI technologies, and establishing robust digital public infrastructure. According to him, these areas are key to creating a resilient, competitive, and modern agricultural sector.

Takeuchi affirmed JICA's commitment to sustainable, climate-resilient farming practices, productivity enhancement, crop diversification, and the integration of advanced agricultural technologies. He emphasized interest in exploring technical cooperation, policy lending, and the integration of drones and AI to foster innovation and sustainable farming solutions in India.

The meeting also opened discussions on expanding research and academic collaboration through student exchanges between Indian and Japanese universities, alongside capacity-building programs aimed at enhancing skills and knowledge in agriculture.

Senior officials, including Joint Secretaries of the Natural Resource Management (NRM) and Horticulture departments, attended the meeting, marking an encouraging step toward reinforcing India-Japan agricultural partnerships.