US, India sign MoU to strengthen Indian agri-marketing system

New Delhi, July 11 (UNI) India and the United States today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen agricultural marketing systems in this country, with the aim of increasing the competitiveness of Indian agriculture.

The MoU was signed between the United States Agency of International Development (USAID) and the National Institute of Agriculture Marketing (NIAM), India's nodal agency for promotion and training on agricultural marketing.

Under the agreement, USAID will provide technical assistance to NIAM and State agencies in the development of grades and standards, food safety warehousing, cold storage and cold chain management.

Through the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agriculture Marketing Services Marketing News System (a valuable tool that provides US farmers with accurate, up-to-date agriculture information) as a model, NIAM and USAID also will upgrade India's existing marketing news information and marketing extension system to better serve Indian farmers, according to a press release by the U S Embassy here.

The USAID-NIAM agreement signals greater collaboration between the US and India, their institutions and their organisations in areas of mutual benefit and interest relating to agricultural marketing.

Both will identify, establish and develop institutional linkages between India and US domestic agencies trough short term training, faculty exchanges, library support, documentary material development and other technical assistance.

More than two-thirds of India's population works in agriculture and relies on it for their sources of livelihood. Further development of marketing tools, storage, packaging and processing has the potential to greatly increase income and productivity in the sector, the release added.

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