More Stories

Informist, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026

MUMBAI – Representatives from India, Nepal, and the Maldives held discussions on Thursday to enhance cooperation in the agriculture sector, according to a release by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. At the meeting, deliberations took place on various aspects of agricultural development aligned with agricultural research, advanced seeds, livestock, soil health, and agroclimatic conditions, according to the release.

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, held a meeting with Nepal's Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Madan Prasad Pariyar, and the Maldives' State Minister for Agriculture and Animal Welfare, Ahmad Hassan Didi.

The benefits of advanced research in agriculture at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research will be extended to the advancement of the agriculture sector in Nepal and the Maldives, the release said. This includes supply of advanced variety seeds to Nepal, which are vital for farmers facing challenges like climate variability and soil degradation, promising better harvests and food security. While this builds on the pre-existing memorandum of understanding between India and Nepal in agricultural research, both countries also agreed to broaden the scope of the memorandum, exploring new avenues for joint projects and knowledge exchange, according to the release.

At the meeting, the three countries also focused on livestock development. This included strategies for breed improvement, disease management, and sustainable practices, ensuring that livestock sectors in all three countries benefit from collective expertise, the release said.

In India's discussions with the Maldives, the ministers highlighted the agroclimatic conditions in the latter, which are characterised by limited arable land, saline soils, and tropical vulnerabilities. Cooperation in soil health management, provision of advanced seeds suited to local environments, capacity-building through training programs, and collaborative research initiatives were explored, the release said. "India's vast experience positions it ideally to support Maldives in overcoming these unique hurdles, fostering self-reliance in food production," it said.  End

Reported by Shreya Shetty

Edited by Avishek Dutta

For users of real-time market data terminals, Informist news is available exclusively on the NSE Cogencis WorkStation.

Cogencis news is now Informist news. This follows the acquisition of Cogencis Information Services Ltd. by NSE Data & Analytics Ltd., a 100% subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. As a part of the transaction, the news department of Cogencis has been sold to Informist Media Pvt. Ltd.

Informist Media Tel +91 (22) 6985-4000

Send comments to feedback@informistmedia.com

© Informist Media Pvt. Ltd. 2026. All rights reserved.