India, New Zealand target doubling bilateral trade by 2030; agri-tech, dairy cooperation gets major push

Ziraat Times Team Report

New Delhi, July 11: India and New Zealand have agreed to double their bilateral trade to NZ$7 billion (around ₹35,000 crore) by 2030, while expanding cooperation in agriculture, animal husbandry, dairying and agri-technology as part of a broader Strategic Partnership announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to New Zealand.

The two countries unveiled a Roadmap to 2030 that seeks to deepen economic engagement and improve market access in the context of the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA), with trade emerging as a key pillar of the enhanced bilateral relationship.

Among the major agriculture-related outcomes was the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between India’s Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and New Zealand’s Ministry of Primary Industries. The agreement aims to strengthen collaboration in animal husbandry and dairying through technical cooperation, exchange of expertise and adoption of best practices.

In another significant initiative, the two countries launched a Kiwifruit Action Plan under the Agricultural Productivity Partnership linked to the FTA. As part of the initiative, two Centres of Excellence for Kiwifruit will be established in Nagaland and Uttarakhand to improve productivity through agricultural innovation, skills development and education.

The visit also saw the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM), Kundli, and New Zealand’s Massey University to promote research collaboration, academic exchange, student mobility and innovation in food technology.

Besides economic and agricultural cooperation, India and New Zealand elevated their ties to a Strategic Partnership covering trade, defence, maritime security, tourism, culture, sports and people-to-people exchanges. The Roadmap to 2030 is intended to guide implementation of the partnership across relevant ministries over the next four years.

The two countries also signed agreements on maritime cooperation, hydrography, logistics support, counter-terrorism, disaster management, tourism, culture and sports. New Zealand additionally announced its participation in the Global Biofuels Alliance and joined the maritime security pillar of the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, with cooperation aimed at combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.