Cooperation in agriculture important to ensure food security: Tomar

Addressing the second agriculture ministerial-level meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), the minister said that along with digital and precision farming, initiatives under the ‘One Health’ approach are taking shape in India. “It is required increase technical and economic cooperation to deal with the challenges of climate change, agro-biodiversity, microbial preventive resistance under the ‘One Health’ approach and other programmes.”

He added that India is committed to promoting agricultural productivity, food security and nutrition, sustainability, research and development and enhance cooperation with BIMSTEC in the areas of agri-business, climate change management, and digital agriculture.

Tomar urged the member countries to cooperate in developing a comprehensive regional strategy to strengthen cooperation for the transformation of agriculture. “India has made efforts to promote millet as a nutritious food and its products during the International Year of Millets 2023. I urge the member countries to adopt a conducive agricultural food system and a healthy diet for all.”

The second BIMSTEC Agriculture Ministerial Meeting adopted the action plan for strengthening BIMSTEC agricultural cooperation (2023-2027). An MoU between the BIMSTEC Secretariat and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) was signed and approval was given to bring fisheries and livestock sub-sectors under the agricultural working group.

BIMSTEC member countries appreciated India’s efforts to strengthen cooperation in agricultural research and development and for awarding six scholarships each for postgraduate and PhD programmes in agriculture.

BIMSTEC was established in the year 1997. It includes five countries of South Asia – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and two countries of South-East Asia – Myanmar and Thailand.