Agriculture minister to visit Israel next week

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar will visit Israel during May 8-11 for bilateral meetings between the countries and discuss various issues related to the farm sector.

A delegation under the leadership of Tomar is going to visit Israel from May 8-11, 2022, on the invitation from Oded Forer, Minister of Agriculture of Israel, for bilateral meetings to discuss various issues related to agriculture between two countries.

On May 9, the delegation is proposed to visit facilities of Green 2000 - Agricultural Equipment and Know How Ltd and NETAFIM Ltd which are engaged in planning, set-up, consultation and on-going management of various projects in different spheres of agriculture and micro & smart Irrigation Systems (drip irrigation) usage to paddy cultivation, sugarcane and cotton respectively.

Tomar will also have a roundtable discussion with Israeli Agritech Startup companies at Israel Export & International Cooperation Institute, Tel-Aviv.

On the second day, the delegation is proposed to visit Agricultural Research Organisation (ARO) – Volcani Institute under the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development which have special expertise in agriculture under arid conditions, on marginal soils, irrigation through effluent and saline water and minimization of produce losses by using latest pest control and post-harvest storage methods.

The minister will also meet Volcani's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program participants from India.

"Agriculture Minister will be presented drone agriculture technology solutions with the combination of advanced mapping and photography at Ganei Khna'an near Kibbutz Naan. The minister will also visit a farm owned by an Indian origin farmer growing Indian vegetables in Negec desert area," the statement said.

On the concluding day, the minister will have a one-to-one interaction with the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Israel Oded Forer in his Office.

The delegation is scheduled to visit the MASHAV's International Agricultural Training Centre, Shefayim.

The Centre has been operating since 1963 and specialises in capacity building, transfer of knowledge and professional support in the fields of agriculture, water management, environment and rural development.