Cabinet Approves Pact between India and Fiji for Agricultural Cooperation

The government agreed a pact between India and Fiji for agricultural and allied sector cooperation on Wednesday. 

The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Indian Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Fiji was authorised by the Union Cabinet, which is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The MoU between India and Fiji calls for collaboration in a number of ways, including the promotion of joint projects between the two countries' private sectors. 

The arrangement also calls for the sharing of research staff, scientists, technicians, and technical trainees, as well as technological transfer and infrastructure advancement. 

The arrangement also calls for the sharing of academic professionals, science consultants, technicians, and professional trainees, as well as knowledge transfer, infrastructure advancement for agriculture, and human capital development through officer and farmer preparation through seminars and workshops. The two countries will also collaborate to promote investment in agricultural commodity marketing and value addition/downstream production. India's and Fiji's agriculture ministries will also foster capacity building in all areas of agriculture, as well as direct exchange in agricultural products through market access. They'll also collaborate on planning and growth. 

They will also collaborate on research initiative preparation and production, as well as the implementation of research initiatives and programmes. The MoU also calls for the creation of an Indo-Fiji Working Group to address phytosanitary problems and other forms of collaboration. According to the declaration, a Joint Working Group (JWG) will be formed under the MoU to develop protocols, prepare, and propose cooperation programmes to achieve the two countries' goals through their respective executing agencies. 

Once every two years, the working group will meet alternately in India and Fiji. This Memorandum of Understanding will take place on the day of its signing and will last for five years.