India and Russia have agreed to boost bilateral agricultural trade, explore new opportunities in food grains and horticulture exports. During a bilateral meeting between Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his Russian counterpart Oxana Lut in New Delhi yesterday, both sides noted that India-Russia relations are built on trust, friendship, and mutual cooperation.
Highlighting the growing bilateral agricultural trade which is currently standing at about 3.5 billion US dollars, Mr. Chouhan emphasised on the need for balanced trade. The Minister also thanked his Russian counterpart for resolving long-pending issues related to the export of Indian potatoes, pomegranates, and seeds.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR) and the Federal Center for Animal Health of Russia was signed during the meeting to strengthen cooperation in agricultural research, innovation, and capacity building.
Mr. Chouhan invited the Russian side to participate in the BRICS Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting to be hosted by India next year.
