ICAR, Argentina’s INTA Sign 2025–27 Work Plan to Deepen Agri Research Ties

Under the agreement, ICAR and Argentina’s National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) will collaborate across a wide spectrum of thematic areas.

India and Argentina have taken a significant step towards strengthening their long-standing agricultural partnership with the signing of the ICAR–INTA Work Plan for 2025–2027. The agreement was formally exchanged today between Dr M.L. Jat, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), and H.E. Mariano Augustin Caucino, Ambassador of the Argentine Republic to India.

The Work Plan provides a structured framework to expand bilateral cooperation in agricultural research, capacity building, and technology exchange, reflecting the shared priorities of both countries in promoting sustainable, resilient, and technology-driven agriculture. It builds upon earlier collaborative arrangements and seeks to translate scientific cooperation into practical outcomes for farmers, agri-industries, and research institutions.

Under the agreement, ICAR and Argentina’s National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) will collaborate across a wide spectrum of thematic areas. These include natural resource management, sustainable agronomy practices such as zero tillage, mechanisation, micro-irrigation and fertigation systems, crop and animal biotechnology, and livestock improvement. The Work Plan also covers production technologies for both temperate and tropical crops, digital agriculture solutions, biosafety and phytosanitary standards, and value chain development to enhance farm-to-market linkages.

Implementation of the Work Plan will be carried out through joint research projects, exchange of germplasm, expert-level engagements, and structured training programmes, including study visits and institutional partnerships. These mechanisms are designed to ensure mutual learning, technology adaptation, and scaling up of best practices suited to the agro-climatic conditions of both countries.

Planned study visits and training programmes will focus on advanced areas such as greenhouse vegetable production, floriculture, temperate fruit cultivation, post-harvest physiology, and functional food development. Cooperation will also extend to veterinary diagnostics, precision livestock farming, waste-to-wealth technologies, microbial enhancement of animal feed, digital agriculture platforms, and sanitary and phytosanitary systems to support safe and efficient agricultural trade.

Germplasm exchange forms a key pillar of the Work Plan and will include crops of strategic importance such as soybean, sunflower, maize, blueberry, citrus, guava, wild papaya species, and selected vegetable crops. This exchange is expected to support crop diversification, breeding programmes, and climate-resilient agriculture in both countries.

India and Argentina have also agreed to deepen cooperation in oilseeds and pulses value chains, recognising their importance for food security and edible oil self-reliance. Collaboration in agricultural mechanisation will include zero-tillage technologies, cotton harvesting machinery, and the use of drones for precision agriculture. In horticulture, the focus will be on value chain development, infrastructure creation, and exchange of high-quality planting material.

In the area of plant and animal health, the Work Plan envisages collaboration on region-specific strategies for the elimination of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), along with enhanced cooperation on locust surveillance and management through technical exchanges and sharing of best practices. These efforts are aimed at strengthening biosecurity and reducing transboundary pest and disease risks.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to advancing the India–Argentina scientific partnership and agreed on annual monitoring and review mechanisms to ensure timely implementation, measurable outcomes, and continuous strengthening of bilateral agricultural cooperation over the 2025–2027 period.