Kathmandu: Nepal and India have agreed to formulate and implement a biennial action plan within the next three months to translate bilateral agricultural cooperation agreements into concrete outcomes, Nepal’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development said on Monday.
During the ninth meeting of the Nepal-India Joint Agriculture Working Group, held on Sunday and Monday in Kathmandu, the two sides also decided to advance cooperation between agricultural universities and research institutions of both countries, including the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC), by developing separate action plans, the ministry said in a statement.
The two sides further agreed to work together in the livestock, poultry, and fisheries sectors under a separate memorandum of understanding.
Agreements were also reached to improve logistical processes to ensure the smooth supply of chemical fertilisers, enhance cooperation in agricultural infrastructure development, and maintain regular dialogue between relevant agencies to resolve technical issues related to food quality and quarantine.
The Indian side reiterated its intention to expand cooperation with Nepal in agricultural research, technology transfer, and infrastructure development in line with its “Neighbourhood First” policy.
Reviewing the achievements of bilateral cooperation, the Nepali side informed the Indian side that 92,766 doses of semen have so far been produced from 15 high-quality Murrah male buffaloes gifted by the Indian government.
Based on an agreement reached between the two sides during former Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s visit to New Delhi in 2023, the Indian side provided those high-quality male buffaloes to Nepal to help improve native buffalo breeds.
Acknowledging the significant contribution of this support to Nepal’s livestock development and breed improvement, the Nepali side expressed its gratitude to the Indian government, the ministry said.
During the meeting, the Nepali side appreciated India’s recognition of laboratory testing for eight categories of Nepali agricultural products and urged the expansion of this list.
In April, for the first time, India officially recognised test certificates issued by Nepal’s National Food and Feed Reference Laboratory, clearing the way for the export of select Nepali food products tested within Nepal. Nepal also sought unhindered access for its agricultural produce to the Indian market, according to the ministry.
In-depth discussions were also held on expanding cooperation in contemporary areas such as digital agriculture, climate-resilient farming, natural farming systems, and food security, the ministry said.
The two sides also agreed that the tenth meeting of the Joint Agriculture Working Group would be held in India on dates to be decided through mutual consultation.
The meeting was co-chaired by Hari Bahadur K.C., Joint Secretary at Nepal’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, and Pramod Kumar Meherda, Additional Secretary at India’s Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
(IANS)
