Israel Agriculture minister to participate in Vibrant Gujarat

Ahmedabad, Dec 24: Israel's Agriculture Minister Yair Shamir will participate in the seventh edition of the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Summit here in India and is likely to sign a deal on extending the agriculture co-operation between the two nations.

"Our Agriculture minister Mr Yair Shamir will come here to participate in the Vibrant Gujarat Summit along with a delegation of 11 representatives of various companies," spokesperson of Israel Embassy Ohad Horsandi told PTI.

"He will sign a tri-lateral deal on behalf of Israel with Indian agriculture ministry and MASHAV (Israeli's agency for international development cooperation) for the second phase of the three-year cooperation between the two countries in the agriculture sector," he said.

"In the first phase of agriculture cooperation which is ongoing between the two countries on a large scale, Israel has established research centres for cooperation in 10 Indian states including Gujarat," the spokesperson said. Israel with its very low rainfall, has carved a niche in its agriculture sector productivity with judicious use of water.

According to Horsandi, there are some 300 companies in that tiny country which can offer cutting-edge technology for the upliftment of Indian agriculture, which is stuck at the growth rate between 2 and 3 per cent year on year. "Our focus in this Summit which is going to be the biggest ever, is on agriculture, water and home land security and counter terrorism," he said.

Earlier, the state government had announced that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon and US defence secretary John Kerry will also be participating in the Summit to be held between 11 and 13 January. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had been organising such bi-lateral summits when he was the Chief Minister of the state, will inaugurate it.

PTI