India, New Zealand Strengthen Agricultural Collaboration Through Ministerial Meeting

A productive meeting was held between India's Minister for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar, and Damien O'Connor, New Zealand's Minister for Trade & Export Growth, Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Biosecurity, Minister for Land Information, and Minister for Rural Communities.

The meeting, held with mutual enthusiasm, showcased the leaders' shared dedication to reinforcing agricultural ties between their respective countries. The encounter commenced with warm greetings as Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare extended a cordial welcome to his New Zealand counterpart and delegation.

He emphasized the profound importance of the bilateral relationship between India and New Zealand, a partnership that has been steadily progressing over the years. Notably, the Joint Trade Committee was reestablished after a hiatus of 14 years, a sign of renewed commitment to cooperation. This led to discussions on addressing market access issues for agricultural products, a topic that gained prominence within the framework of the committee. The Indian Minister expressed gratitude for New Zealand's decision to grant market access to Indian pomegranate arils, along with the positive step of lifting the suspension on mango imports from the MSAMB VHT facility in India.

During the exchange, Minister Tomar briefed his New Zealand counterpart on India's ongoing initiatives to celebrate 2023 as the International Year of Millets. He sought New Zealand's collaboration in promoting the manifold health and environmental benefits associated with millets. Both ministers acknowledged the significant potential embedded within the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) currently under finalization between the two nations.

This agreement aims at the comprehensive advancement of horticulture, underscoring the mutual desire to explore the broader horizons of collaboration. A critical facet of the ministers' dialogue revolved around the shared commitment to maintaining the quality and safety standards of agricultural commodities exchanged between India and New Zealand. In this vein, a dedicated focus was directed towards phytosanitary measures and systems, reflecting the nations' unwavering dedication to the well-being of their agricultural sectors.

The conversation extended to the paramount importance of nurturing agricultural systems that are both sustainable and climate-resilient. This dimension of the discourse highlighted the recognition of environmental challenges and the imperative to tackle them jointly.

A noteworthy development emerged as the New Zealand Minister extended an invitation to India to join the Global Research Alliance. This global alliance, comprised of 67 countries, is dedicated to collaborative research efforts aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change on agriculture.

The invitation underscores the recognition of India's expertise and commitment to the sphere of agricultural research and innovation.