India has stepped up agricultural cooperation with Malaysia, Timor-Leste and Myanmar, with Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan holding separate bilateral meetings with his counterparts from the three countries in New Delhi.
The discussions focused on agricultural research, technology and innovation, food security, trade, market access and institutional cooperation.
The meetings took place on the sidelines of the 9th ASEAN–India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry (9th AIMMAF), held in New Delhi from September 8 to 9.
During his meeting with Malaysian Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamed Bin Sabu, Chouhan discussed ways to expand cooperation in agriculture and allied sectors.
Both sides stressed the importance of exchanging knowledge, expertise and best practices. They also expressed interest in expanding joint cooperation in agricultural research, technology and innovation.
The two ministers discussed the possibility of creating an institutional framework through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) covering areas of mutual interest.
The discussions also covered germplasm exchange, agricultural trade and market access.
Both sides noted that stronger cooperation in these areas could further deepen the existing agricultural partnership between India and Malaysia.
In his meeting with Timor-Leste’s Minister for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry Marcos Da Cruz, Chouhan reaffirmed India’s commitment to supporting the country’s agricultural development.
The Timor-Leste side expressed interest in establishing a stronger institutional mechanism with India to address agricultural challenges and strengthen food security.
Chouhan said India was prepared to share its best practices and help strengthen Timor-Leste’s agricultural research and innovation capabilities.
This could include exchanges involving scientists, experts and human resources.
Timor-Leste also proposed that India consider sending a team of technical and scientific experts to assess challenges on the ground.
The proposed expertise would cover areas including:
- Agriculture
- Forestry
- Livestock
- Aquaculture
Such an assessment could help identify local challenges and provide technical recommendations for strengthening agricultural development and food security.
During his meeting with Myanmar’s Union Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Min Naung, Chouhan highlighted the longstanding cultural and people-to-people relationship between India and Myanmar.
He described Myanmar as a close partner and noted that the two countries share around 1,600 km of border.
The ministers reviewed the proposed MoU on cooperation in agriculture and allied sectors, which is at an advanced stage of finalisation.
India and Myanmar also discussed opportunities to expand agricultural trade.
Potential areas identified during the meeting included:
- Pulses
- Cotton
- Dairy development
- Agricultural education
The Myanmar side also highlighted investment opportunities in the country, with an emphasis on strengthening economic and agricultural ties with India.
The bilateral meetings were held alongside the 9th ASEAN–India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry, organised by the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
The engagements demonstrate India’s focus on expanding agricultural cooperation with Southeast Asian and neighbouring countries through research, technology, trade, food security and knowledge sharing.
