India Germany to set up Joint working group on agriculture

New Delhi, Apr 19 (UNI) India and Germany will set up a Joint Working Group for cooperation in agriculture and allied sectors particularly to promote agro-processing, farm research, animal breeding on bilateral basis.

The Working Group will meet twice a year to initiate reforms in the agri-marketing sector with corporate investment in the sector.

The proposal emerged at a discussion between Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Mr Gerd Muller, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection of Germany here today.

Mr Pawar said India was looking forward to more proposals for cooperation in the agri-business to surmount difficulties being faced by it in accessing-markets for its agricultural products in Europe and Germany owing to difference in standards.

At the delegation level discussions held earlier Dr P K Mishra, Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation informed that tremendous emphasis is being laid on increasing investment in rural infrastructure and improving productivity in agriculture.

Other key areas include diversification of high value crops, strengthening post-harvest infrastructure, linking agriculture to markets and agro-products. Specific areas discussed relate to cooperation in the field of agriculture research, food processing, animal husbandry, development of plant varieties, seeds and planting material, farm machinery and marketing of agricultural products.

UNI