Nepal and India signed a fresh Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote cooperation between the two countries in numerous areas covering agricultural science and technology, including agricultural production, crop production, and agricultural trade and marketing. The agreement replaces a memorandum of understanding between the two countries in December 1991.
The new agreement was signed by Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Ramnath Adhikari and India's Minister for Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Kathmandu.
The agreement also covers areas such as plant protection and market access, horticulture, integrated farming systems, micro irrigation, natural resource management, organic farming, bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides, post-harvest management, climate resilient and sustainable agriculture.
The visiting Indian Minister for Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, on an official visit to Nepal since Tuesday, also called on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Wednesday. During the meeting, Chouhan conveyed to Prime Minister Oli the "greetings from the leadership in India", according to a press release issued by the Embassy of India in Kathmandu.
The Indian Minister and Prime Minister Oli discussed the close and friendly relations between India and Nepal which are deeply rooted in historical, cultural, civilizational and people-to-people ties. "Ways to further strengthen India-Nepal cooperation in various segments of agriculture were also discussed."
The Indian minister is on a three-day visit to attend the BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture (BMMA) in Kathmandu on Wednesday.
Over the past decade, BIMSTEC has emerged as a significant forum for promoting regional development, connectivity and economic progress in the Bay of Bengal region. “Agriculture and Food Security” is one of the BIMSTEC core areas of cooperation. This was the third meeting of BAMM, the highest decision-making body shaping regional agricultural cooperation. The 1st BAMM took place in Myanmar on 12 July 2019, followed by the 2nd BAMM in India on 10 November 2022. During the 3rd BAMM, the Agriculture Ministers deliberated on ways and means to infuse greater momentum to the BIMSTEC agriculture sector including fisheries and livestock cooperation.
He also congratulated his Nepali counterpart for successfully hosting the 3rd BAMM. The Ministers reviewed the progress made in various bilateral initiatives and developmental projects in the field of agriculture and discussed opportunities for further collaboration.
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