High level official visit boosts India-Netherlands cooperation in Agriculture
From 12 to 16 November 2024, Vice Minister Jan-Kees Goet of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature visited India. Dr. Hendrik-Jan Roest, Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) of the Netherlands joined the delegation in Delhi, arriving from Bangalore where he was informed about the intentions to create a Indo-Dutch Dairy Training Center of Excellence. In New Delhi, the delegation witnessed the launch of the Seed Secretariat, held several meetings with counterparts and met with multilateral partners and other parties active in food systems. The visit ended in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, where the Netherlands was the official partner country in CII Krishi Bharat trade fair.
Broad cooperation in horticulture, cold chain and seeds
Horticulture (and specifically protected cultivation) is one of the focus areas for the Netherlands in its relationship with India on agriculture. It strongly featured in the delegation’s visit.
The Director of Dutch consortium SeedNL, Mr. Willem Schoustra, and Mr. Vijayaraghavan, Chairman and MD, Sathguru Management Consultants, signed a Letter of Intent for setting up the India – Netherlands Seed Secretariat. The Secretariat proposes to organise a platform for discussion with seed companies, setting-up a public – private dialogue and initiating studies for evidence based discussions. High-quality planting material is vital for agricultural yields, especially in light of changing weather patterns due to climate change. Mr. Goet, congratulating both SeedNL and Sathguru Management Consultancy, highlighted the important role of the Seed Secretariat at a time when access to high quality planting material is high on the agenda of both India and the Netherlands. The Netherlands is world-renowned for its high-quality vegetable seeds. Around 40% of the world trade in vegetable seeds and 55% of world trade in seed potatoes is from or runs through the Netherlands.
In a bilateral meeting with Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Mr. Goet shared the priorities of the Netherlands and both sides agreed on further strengthening cooperation in the area of cold chain development to address post-harvest losses in India, and access to quality seeds and planting materials for farmers for which the launch of Indian – Netherlands Seed Secretariat is a first step. Dr. Chaturvedi appreciated the progress on the Indo – Dutch Centers of Excellence (CoEs), as started in 2014. The objective of the CoEs is to demonstrate Dutch technologies to Indian farmers, to provide training and to supply farmers with quality planting materials. Also the ongoing discussion with NAK Tuinbouw and co-operation required for setting up of Clean Plant Centers in India to ensure supply of good quality planting materials to farmers in India will serve this purpose.
Animal Husbandry
Animal husbandry, specifically the dairy and the poultry industry, is one of the strongest growing sectors in India. Recognizing this growth, the Netherlands government is intensifying its efforts on collaboration also in this field. The Dutch delegation met with Ms. Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying. The Netherlands and India have an increasingly strong partnership in the fields of dairy and poultry. Secretary Upadhyaya said India is interested in cooperation on increasing productivity, breeding, animal health and fighting Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). Dairy is an indispensable element in the Indian diet, and the sector is growing rapidly. It is of utmost importance to pay good attention to animal welfare and sustainable practices. During the meeting the mutual intention to come to a Indo-Dutch Dairy Training CoE was underlined. The deputy CVO discussed market access with experts from the Department.
Exploring cooperation with Uttar Pradesh – Netherlands Partner country at CII Krishi Bharat
In Lucknow, the Vice Minister, together with Chief Minister Mr. Yogi Adityanath, opened the CII Krishi Bharat trade fair, where the Netherlands was the official partner country. They jointly inaugurated the large Netherlands pavilion, which showcased 20 organisations active in agriculture and food, covering topics such as animal nutrition, greenhouse equipment, processing and cold storage and seeds. The greenhouse equipment companies were part of HortiRoad2India, a public private partnership program of the Dutch government. The whole Dutch Golden Triangle, government, private sector and civil society, were represented.
After a tour of the pavilion and introduction to the organisations present, the Vice Minister and Chief Minister had a bilateral meeting, where Vice Minister Goet expressed confidence that the event will lead to many new partnerships in sustainable agriculture and food production and proposed setting up a Center of Excellence also in Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in India. The Chief Minister highlighted the steps his government has taken to promote digital agriculture in the state. Different areas for cooperation were discussed with Mr. Surya Pratap Sahi, Agriculture Minister of Uttar Pradesh and Mr. Manoj Kumar Singh, Chief Secretary, both also present on the occasion. The delegation further discussed creating market opportunities for farmers and growers in Uttar Pradesh to produce high quality vegetables, relating to fair prices, increased productivity, and the development of cold chains and agro-logistics centers.
Next to participating in different round tables and discussion organized at CII Krishi Bharat, the delegation made a field visit to Maa Dairy Farms just outside the UP capital Lucknow. India’s dairy sector has big co-operatives like Amul, private sector companies like Nestle and Hastsun but also a growing number of smaller dairy companies catering to growing cities like Maa Dairy. The tour of this dairy farm with 130 cows (both mixed breed and indigenous breed cattle, a bottling plant and feed mill), working with Trouw Nutrition to produce high – quality feed, left the delegation with a good impression of developments in the sector.
Conclusion
The agriculture and food sectors in both India and the Netherlands are faced with the challenge of sustainably feeding a growing population in an increasingly complex world. In India, the government is concerned that the increase in production of fresh and healthy fruits and vegetables will add to the already high level of post-harvest losses. The Netherlands is working on reducing the impact of agriculture on the natural environment, strengthening its resilience and biodiversity. Both governments agree on the need for better partnership for innovative solutions to create a sustainable food system to ensure future food security. The visit of Mr. Goet not only reinforced the critical role agro – food sector plays in the development of the strategic partnership between both countries but also was a good opportunity to explore new areas of co-operation.