India and New Zealand Pave the Path for Horticultural Harmony

India and New Zealand held a Joint Working Group meeting to boost cooperation in the horticulture sector. Discussions focused on kiwi rootstock imports, kiwifruit prioritization, and collaborative efforts on research and training. Key outcomes include the establishment of Centres of Excellence and a roadmap for action plan implementation.

India and New Zealand have taken a significant step towards enhancing their horticulture sector cooperation. On Thursday, the two nations convened the inaugural meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) under the Memorandum of Cooperation signed in March 2025. The session was co-chaired by officials Priya Ranjan and Steve Ainsworth.

The meeting focused primarily on boosting kiwifruit and pip fruit development, aiming to facilitate the import of kiwi rootstock into India's market. Discussions also centered around improving orchard management, productivity, and supply chain dynamics to enhance farmer incomes.

Concrete steps were outlined, including creating Centres of Excellence, organizing training programmes, and defining timelines for action plan implementation, with an emphasis on research collaboration, capacity building, and sophisticated market positioning strategies.

(With inputs from agencies.)