New Delhi: India and Argentina on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation in sustainable agriculture, digital farming, and biotechnology with the signing of a new bilateral Work Plan, marking a major advancement in agricultural collaboration between the two countries.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Argentina’s National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) signed the Work Plan 2025–2027 to enhance cooperation in agricultural research, capacity building, and technology exchange.
Under the agreement, both sides will collaborate across a wide range of areas, including natural resource management, sustainable agronomy such as zero tillage, mechanisation, micro-irrigation and fertigation, crop and animal biotechnology, livestock improvement, production technologies for temperate and tropical crops, digital agriculture, biosafety and phytosanitary measures, and value chain development.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the Work Plan will be implemented through joint research initiatives, germplasm exchange, expert interactions, and structured training programmes and study visits. Planned activities include training in greenhouse vegetable production, floriculture and temperate fruits, post-harvest physiology, functional food development, veterinary diagnostics, precision livestock farming, waste-to-wealth technologies, microbial feed enhancement, digital agriculture, and sanitary and phytosanitary systems.
The germplasm exchange programme will cover crops such as soybean, sunflower, maize, blueberry, citrus, wild papaya species, guava, and selected vegetable varieties.
The two countries are also expanding cooperation in oilseeds and pulses value chains, agricultural mechanisation—including zero-tillage practices, cotton harvesting machinery, and drone technology—and horticulture value chain development, including infrastructure and planting material exchange.
In the area of plant and animal health, the Work Plan envisages region-specific strategies for the elimination of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), as well as enhanced collaboration on locust surveillance and management through technical exchanges and sharing of best practices.
The signed ICAR–INTA Work Plan was formally exchanged by Dr M.L. Jat, Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of ICAR, and Mariano Augustin Caucino, Ambassador of the Argentine Republic to India, underscoring a significant step forward in strengthening bilateral agricultural cooperation.
With inputs from IANS