First India-Africa 'Agrifood' summit held

The first ever Agri-Food Summit between India and African countries was held on March 7 and 8 in the Indian city of New Dehli. The theme of the summit was "Enhancing India-Africa Partnership in the Agro and Food Processing Sector."

The meeting focused on the growth opportunities in agriculture, agri-food processing and the allied sectors in Africa and showcased how Indian organisations were meeting them at home. The aim of the summit was to enhance the partnership between India and the economies of Africa through trade, joint ventures and investments.

The Indian agriculture minister, Shri Sharad Pawar, emphasized the importance of increasing trade relations with African countries. Inaugurating the summit, he said it marked a new era of cooperation between African countries and India. He stressed the need to share experiences for mutual benefit and hoped that the summit would address key areas like resource management, inputs, mechanization, backward and forward linkages, credit and markets.

Recalling that India and Africa have an age-old relationship, he said that there was a new mood of buoyancy and optimism to expand cooperation. The minister said a large number of experts from Sub-Saharan Africa have received training in India. With India’s fast- growing economy, he said the country was poised for the second 'green revolution,' which will be realized through knowledge-based intervention. Shri Pawar said there were opportunities for collaboration in agricultural research, crop varieties that requires less water, eco-friendly fertilizers, high-tech agriculture and soil and water management.

The summit was organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in collaboration with the government of India and the World Bank. Among African countries that participated were Mauritius, Nigeria, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Africa News Network