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India and Argentina on Tuesday signed a work plan for 2025-2027 to deepen bilateral cooperation in agricultural research, technology exchange, and capacity building.
The agreement was signed between the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Argentina's National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA). The signed document was exchanged by the Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), the Director General of ICAR, and the Ambassador of Argentina to India. The work plan aims to expand collaboration in key areas such as natural resource management, sustainable agronomy, crop and animal biotechnology, livestock improvement, digital agriculture, and value chain development. It also includes cooperation on zero tillage, farm mechanisation, micro-irrigation, fertigation, biosafety, and phytosanitary measures. According to officials, the partnership will be implemented through joint research projects, germplasm exchange, expert-level interactions, training programmes and study visits. Planned activities include training in greenhouse vegetable production, floriculture, temperate fruit cultivation, post-harvest management, functional food development, veterinary diagnostics, precision livestock farming, and waste-to-wealth technologies. The agreement also provides for the exchange of germplasm, including soybean, sunflower, maize, blueberry, citrus, wild papaya species, guava and selected vegetable crops. India and Argentina will further strengthen cooperation in oilseed and pulses value chains, agricultural mechanisation, including zero-tillage technologies, cotton harvesting machinery, and drones, as well as horticulture infrastructure and planting material exchange. In the area of plant and animal health, the work plan outlines collaboration on region-specific Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) elimination strategies and enhanced coordination on locust surveillance and management through technical exchanges and sharing of best practices. Both sides agreed to carry out annual monitoring and reviews to ensure effective implementation of the agreed activities. Argentine Ambassador Mariano Caucino said the agreement was a result of the historic summit between Argentine President Javier Milei and Prime Minister *Narendra Modi* during the Indian Prime Minister's visit to Argentina in July 2025. He highlighted the strong complementarity between the two economies and acknowledged the role played by Argentina's agriculture attache in advancing cooperation since the opening of the office in New Delhi in 2019. (ANI)
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