As part of the collaborative work programme for the agriculture sector, India and Israel recently opened the 30th Centre of Excellence (CoE) at Grignow village in Bhiwani, Haryana. The 30th Indo-Israel Centre of Excellence was created as a part of the Indo-Israel Agricultural Project and is dedicated to the development of semi-arid horticulture crops.

 

Israel, known for its capacity to “make the desert bloom,” is a pioneer in the creation of sustainable agricultural technologies and methods. With decades of experience in successfully overcoming harsh climatic conditions and maximizing resources in arid environments, Israel is well-suited to share its expertise in this field with India.

 

“This is a significant milestone in the agricultural cooperation between Israel and India. It is very special as this is the 30th CoE inaugurated as our countries are nearing the completion of 30 years of full diplomatic relations,” said Naor Gilon, ambassador of Israel to India, after jointly inaugurating the Bhiwani’s Centre with Jai Parkash Dalal, agriculture minister of Haryana, and Kamal Patel, agriculture minister of Madhya Pradesh.

 

We now have 30 completely operational Centres of Excellence in various Indian states thanks to this inauguration. There are plans to open more such facilities. These institutes are boosting farmers’ production and yield while diversifying local crops and enhancing the quality of produce.

 

These facilities offer an ideal setting for the quick dissemination of technology to Indian farmers. Here, examples of modern agricultural technology including fertigation, drip irrigation, and protected cultivation are provided.

 

With the aim of greatly raising their revenue, the techniques and technologies are adjusted to the unique characteristics and needs of the Indian farmers. The facilities train more than 120 thousand Indian farmers each year and produce more than 40 million premium vegetable seedlings and over 500 thousand high-quality fruit plants.

 

Additionally, numerous Israeli professionals are sent to India where they teach the centres’ instructors all year long. Similar to this, Israeli instruction is received by the Indian agricultural officers in charge of these centres.

 

Since full diplomatic ties were established between Israel and India in 1992, this collaboration in agriculture has expanded and strengthened. The newest innovations in a variety of agricultural disciplines were introduced from Israel during the initial phase of the construction of the Centres of Excellence and deployed at these centres.

 

The two nations’ agricultural cooperation has grown more extensive over time. Now that Israeli innovations and know-how are being exported to and produced in India, the ‘Make in India’ project is being strengthened, to the advantage of everyone in the globe. One such instance is the recently opened centre, which will show off India-based agricultural technology with an Israeli foundation, such as drip irrigation, mulching, and greenhouses.

 

India and Israel will keep working together to achieve better collaboration in agricultural growth and efficient utilization of resources and the Economic & Commercial Mission will support the private industry on both sides to make it happen.

 

For further information of assistance on agriculture industry and opportunities, reach out to ashish.verma@israeltrade.gov.il.