India and Afghanistan expand cooperation in agriculture and food security

Officials from ICAR highlighted the long-standing cooperation between the two countries in agricultural research, germplasm exchange, irrigation, watershed management and human resource development.

India and Afghanistan have agreed to deepen cooperation in agriculture, with a strong focus on food security, climate-resilient farming, research and capacity building. The discussions took place during a bilateral meeting between Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Afghanistan's Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, H.E. Mawlawi Ataullah Omari, who led a high-level delegation to India. Senior officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) also participated in the meeting, which reviewed the existing agricultural partnership and explored new opportunities for collaboration.

Welcoming the Afghan delegation, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said India and Afghanistan share centuries-old civilisational ties built on trust and close people-to-people relations. He reaffirmed India's willingness to share its scientific expertise, technological innovations and institutional experience to support Afghanistan's agricultural development and improve the livelihoods of its farmers.

India offers support in seeds, irrigation and climate-resilient farming

Food security and crop productivity featured prominently in the discussions. The Afghan delegation identified wheat as a priority crop and sought India's support in improving productivity through better seed technologies and scientific cooperation.

Responding to the request, Chouhan said India is ready to assist Afghanistan by providing quality wheat, maize and potato seeds, along with climate-resilient and biofortified crop varieties developed by ICAR institutions. He also offered India's scientific expertise to strengthen Afghanistan's seed systems and agricultural production.

The two sides also discussed the growing challenges posed by water scarcity and climate change. Afghanistan requested cooperation in irrigation, rainwater harvesting and watershed management. Chouhan shared India's experience in micro-irrigation, farm ponds, check dams and efficient water-use technologies, expressing India's readiness to support the development of sustainable irrigation systems and climate-resilient agricultural practices.

Joint Working Group to guide future collaboration

The meeting also explored wider cooperation in agricultural research, education and professional training. Chouhan proposed stronger partnerships between ICAR and Afghanistan's agricultural institutions through joint research projects, faculty and student exchanges, laboratory support and training programmes for scientists, veterinarians and agricultural extension personnel. Discussions covered several additional sectors, including horticulture, dairy, livestock, poultry, fisheries, animal health, post-harvest management, digital agriculture and soil health management.

Mawlawi Ataullah Omari thanked India for its continued support to Afghanistan's agriculture sector and reiterated his country's interest in expanding cooperation in seed systems, irrigation, livestock development, agricultural education, technology transfer, agri-business and private sector participation. Both countries also recognised the potential to increase bilateral agricultural trade by promoting agricultural commodities, quality seeds and value-added products while encouraging stronger business-to-business partnerships and improved agricultural value chains.

Officials from ICAR highlighted the long-standing cooperation between the two countries in agricultural research, germplasm exchange, irrigation, watershed management and human resource development. They reaffirmed India's commitment to expanding collaboration in wheat research, horticulture, dairy, fisheries and agricultural technology. As a key outcome of the meeting, India and Afghanistan agreed to work towards establishing a Joint Working Group that will prepare a structured roadmap for long-term cooperation, promote regular institutional engagement and identify new areas of collaboration based on shared priorities.

Concluding the discussions, Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed confidence that the strengthened agricultural partnership would deepen the longstanding friendship between the two countries while contributing to food security, sustainable farming and greater prosperity for farmers in both India and Afghanistan.