Vice-Minister of Agriculture of the Netherlands Mr. Jan-Kees Goet calls on Secretary Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi at Krishi Bhawan New Delhi
14 November 2024, New Delhi: Mr. Jan-Kees Goet, Vice-Minister of Agriculture of the Netherlands, paid a courtesy visit to Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi today. The meeting provided a valuable opportunity to strengthen bilateral ties and explore avenues for enhanced collaboration in the agriculture and allied sectors between India and the Netherlands.
Dr. Chaturvedi underscored the significance of the longstanding cooperation between India and the Netherlands in the agricultural sector. He emphasized the government’s focus on diversifying agriculture and identified potential areas for further partnership, particularly in post-harvest management and improving access to high-quality seeds and planting materials for millions of small and marginal farmers across India. Reaffirming to collaboration to establish 25 Centers of Excellence (CoEs) by 2025, he expressed appreciation for the technical support provided by the Netherlands in this endeavor. He highlighted that through the functioning CoEs, 25000 farmers have received training. He further assured continued funding support for the states through the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) to expand the CoE network.
The Vice Minister shared insights into the Netherlands’ new government priorities, highlighting food security and farmers’ welfare as key focus areas. He acknowledged the CoEs as a valuable model of mutual cooperation and expressed interest in supporting the establishment of additional CoEs in the future.
Both sides agreed to deepen their collaboration and explore new possibilities for joint initiatives, including a clean plant program and leveraging the Netherlands’ experience in creating a collaborative ecosystem that brings together the public and private sectors and civil society to advance the seeds sector, improve farmers’ choices, and address evolving food and climate challenges. Discussions also touched on potential cooperation in agricultural mechanization, capacity building for farmers’ producer organizations (FPOs), vocational training programs in partnership with the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), financing for agri-startups, and opportunities for skilled agricultural workers from India to contribute to the Netherlands’ agricultural sector.
The discussion was further enriched by the presence of Additional Secretaries Mr. Pramod Kumar Mehereda and Ms. Shubha Thakur, along with Joint Secretaries and representatives from ICAR on the Indian side. From the Netherlands, Her Excellency Ambassador Ms. Marisa Gerards, the Agriculture Counsellor, Director of SeedNL, and a Senior Policy Officer also participated.
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