IndiaIsrael Economic and Trade Cooperation

1

Trade in Agriculture Between Israel and India
The Ways to Improve It
2
BILATERAL TRADE

• Significant growth from less than 200 million
  in 1992 to over 2.7 billion in 2006.
• Agriculture and allied industry are important
  elements though the trade is much below the
  potential.

3
Bilateral Trade Figures for 2006 (as received
from Israels Ministry of Industry and Trade)
4
India-Israel Cooperation in Agriculture

• Extensive.
• Several Israeli companies are active in India.
• Joint Ventures have been set up for manufacture
  of drip irrigation systems and in the areas of
  floriculture and horticulture.
• JV between Rajasthan State Agricultural Marketing
  Board with two Israeli companies for cultivation
  of Olive Plants formed in end-2006.

5
Framework for Cooperation in Agriculture

• Inter-Governmental Agreement for cooperation in
  Agriculture signed in December 1993.
• 3-year comprehensive Work Plan for cooperation in
  the field of agriculture signed in May, 2006.

6
Focus Areas under Work Plan

• Collaboration in
• Research on fertigation scheduling with reference
  to crop-soil environment interaction
• Research on soil-less culture for growing high
  value horticultural crops  
• Exchange of Genetic Material.
• Higher Education, Training and Demonstration.
• Exchange of Scientists, Students and Farmers.

7
Focus Areas under Work Plan

• Energy Efficient Greenhouse structures for
  semi-arid tropical climates.
• Recycling of Domestic Wastewater for Irrigation.
• Input Delivery and Extension Service Systems.
• Post Harvest Management and Value Addition for
  Fruits, Vegetables and Dairy Products.
• Dairy Development through genetic improvement.
• Promoting Private Sector Collaboration.

8
Recent High Level Exchanges

• Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh accompanied by
  Agriculture Minister visited Israel in July 2005.
• Mr. Sharad Pawar, Minister of Agriculture,
  Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
  visited in November 2005 and again in May 2006
  (leading a high-level delegation to Agritech
  2006).
• Chief Ministers of Gujarat, Nagaland and
  Rajasthan along with State Agriculture/Horticultur
  e/Irrigation Ministers and senior officials and
  FICCI Delegation in May 2006 (Agritech).
• Director General of the Israeli Ministry of
  Agriculture visited India (March 16-23, 2006)
  for the first meeting of the Joint Committee on
  Agriculture.

9
Recent High Level Exchanges

• Two large Agriculture delegations from Rajasthan
  headed by State Agriculture and Irrigation
  Ministers in June 2006 and November 2006
  respectively.
• Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture
  and Rural Development of Israel visited India in
  March 2006 for the first meeting of the Joint
  Committee on Agriculture.
• Israeli delegation led by Ambassador Haim Divon,
  Head of MASHAV, visited India in February 2007.

10
Other Exchanges

• Ten students from Nagaland are currently in
  Israel under the Agro-studies programme.
• On the spot training course on Advanced Water
  Irrigation for Intensive Crop Production held at
  PUSA in March 2007.

11
Opportunities in India

• .

12
Other Exchanges

• Ten students from Nagaland are currently in
  Israel under the Agro-studies programme.
• On the spot training course on Advanced Water
  Irrigation for Intensive Crop Production held at
  PUSA in March 2007.

13
(No Transcript)
14
Thank you