Pawar to lead high-level team to Agritech-2006

New Delhi, May 8: Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar will lead a high level delegation to represent India in the Agritech-2006 to be held at Tel-Aviv in Israel from May 10-12, 2006.

The delegation comprises Chief Ministers of three States namely, Mr Narendra Modi of Gujarat, Ms Vasundhara Raje of Rajasthan and Mr N Rio of Nagaland.

Ministers in-charge of Agriculture from the state governments of Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana and Karnataka also form part of the delegation, besides senior officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research CSIR.

India and Israel had entered into an Inter-Governmental Agreement for cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied activities in 1993.

This agreement provides for cooperation in water and soil management, arid and semi-arid crop protection, fruit and vegetable cultivation, animal science, plant protection, agricultural research and agro-forestry.

Technological cooperation between the two countries in the field of agri-processing and marketing, food processing, post harvest management and value addition, food marketing, establishment of cold chain and product handling is also expected to get a boost as Agritech-2006 is being organised jointly by the Israel Asia Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

UNI