New Delhi: India and the Netherlands on Friday held the 8th Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting on Agriculture at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi, to review ongoing collaborations and explore new areas of partnership in the agriculture and allied sectors.
The meeting was co-chaired by Shri Priya Ranjan, Joint Secretary (Horticulture), Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), Government of India, and Mr. Guido Landheer from the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of the Netherlands.
Focus on Technology, Seeds, and Farmer Training
Both sides exchanged views on current priorities, emerging challenges, and new initiatives in agriculture. They highlighted the importance of the Joint Working Group mechanism as an effective platform for deepening the longstanding partnership between the two countries in agricultural development.
A key focus of the discussions was the network of Centres of Excellence (CoEs) established under Indo-Dutch collaboration. These centres have successfully demonstrated advanced technologies, facilitated the production of high-quality planting materials and seeds, and provided hands-on training to thousands of farmers. The success of these CoEs has prompted efforts to scale up similar models across more states and horticultural subsectors to enhance productivity and farmers’ incomes.
New Avenues of Cooperation
The meeting also reviewed ongoing areas of cooperation and identified new potential areas, including phytosanitary cooperation, seed sector development, animal husbandry and dairy, food processing, food safety, circular agriculture, greenhouse technologies, knowledge exchange, innovation, and naturally ventilated polyhouses.
Both delegations expressed satisfaction over the constructive and result-oriented discussions and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and allied fields.
Delegations from Both Sides
The Netherlands delegation included Ms. Marion van Schaik, Agriculture Counsellor; Ms. Sarah Visser Ravichandran, Senior Policy Officer; and Mr. Sritanu Chatterjee, Policy Advisor, Embassy of the Netherlands.
The Indian delegation comprised senior officials from the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
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