INDIA and Israel agreed to enhance their cooperation in agriculture by signing a three-year work programme agreement in a move affirming their growing bilateral partnership in the farming and water sectors.

India and Israel’s bilateral agrarian relations date back to 1993 with four Indo-Israel Agriculture Action Plans (IIAPs) already completed successfully. The Indian Agriculture Ministry and MASHAV - Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation - are leading Israel’s largest government-to-government cooperation.

The work programme will aim to grow the 29 existing Indo-Israel Agricultural Project Centres of Excellence (CoE), establish new centres and implement advanced-intensive agriculture farms with Israeli agrotechnology tailored to local conditions.

The operational CoEs demonstrate best practices, producing more than 2.5 crore vegetable seedlings, over 3.87 lakh fruit plants and train more than 1.2 lakh farmers about latest technology in the field of horticulture.

The new programme will increase the CoE’s value chain, making them self-sufficient and encourage private sector companies and collaboration.

Meanwhile, the Indo-Israel Villages of Excellence (VoE) will create a model ecosystem in agriculture across 8 States, alongside 13 CoEs within 75 villages.

The programme will promote the increase of net income and better the livelihood of the Meanwhile, the Indo-Israel Villages of Excellence (VoE) will create a model ecosystem in agriculture across 8 States, alongside 13 CoEs within 75 villages.

The programme will promote the increase of net income and better the livelihood of the individual farmer, transforming traditional farms into modern-intensive farms. Large-scale and complete value chain approach with economic sustainability, embedded with Israeli novel technologies and methodologies will be tailored to local conditions.

The VoE programme will focus on modern agriculture infrastructure, capacity building and market linkage.