India, Russia Plan MoU to Boost Agri Trade & Tech

• India and Russia plan an MoU to strengthen agricultural technology collaboration.
• Talks focus on boosting India’s agri exports and trade balance with Russia.
• Collaboration includes academic exchanges, scholarships, and joint seed traceability projects.

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan engaged in talks on reinforcing agri technology collaboration between India and Russia with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev, indicating that both sides wished to sign the agreement in the form of a memorandum of understanding.

During the meeting held at Krishi Bhavan, both leaders emphasized India-Russia agricultural trade, especially with regard to expanding exports of agricultural products from India to Russia.

Chouhan told Patrushev, according to the agriculture ministry, that the priorities for India in agriculture are ensuring food security, improving the income of farmers, and increasing access to safe and nutritious food.

"The outstanding degree of shared trust and comprehension defines the enduring alliance between India and Russia," Chouhan stated, referencing the concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam -- the world is one family -- to highlight the significance of global cooperation for the benefit of farmers and food security.

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Patrushev emphasized the strong collaboration between the two nations in various sectors, including agriculture, and expressed Russia's strong desire to enhance agricultural trade relations. He showed excitement about formalizing this collaboration via an MoU.

The discussions centered on achieving balance in bilateral trade and improving technical interactions. India underscored the importance of creating a formal mechanism for improved market access for large volumes of agricultural commodities to Russia and conveyed optimism in terms of resolving some ongoing issues.

Both delegations agreed to bolster collaboration in the area of academic exchanges and student scholarships while also working together on pioneering joint projects in seed traceability systems to bolster innovation and technology-based solutions to address agricultural challenges.