New Delhi, Dec 17 (UNI) The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Argentina’s National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) have formalised the ICAR–INTA Work Plan 2025–2027, a strategic initiative to strengthen bilateral cooperation in agricultural research, technology exchange, and capacity building.
Argentine Ambassador Mariano Caucino called the agreement a direct outcome of the historic summit between President Milei and PM Modi, emphasising the complementary strengths of the two economies.
The Work Plan was exchanged today by the Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of ICAR, alongside the Ambassador of Argentina to India, marking a key milestone in India–Argentina agricultural collaboration.
Argentine Ambassador Mariano Caucino said, “This important step is the result of the historic summit between President Milei and PM Modi during the Indian PM’s visit to Argentina in July 2025.” He highlighted the “high degree of complementarity between both economies” and credited the efforts of Agriculture Attaché Mariano Beheran since the opening of the Argentine agriculture office in Delhi in 2019.
The agreement outlines cooperation across areas including natural resource management, sustainable agronomy with zero tillage, mechanisation, micro-irrigation and fertigation, crop and animal biotechnology, livestock improvement, production technologies for temperate and tropical crops, digital agriculture, biosafety and phytosanitary measures, and value chain development. Implementation will involve joint research, germplasm exchange, expert engagements, and structured training and study visits.
Planned study visits and training programmes will cover greenhouse vegetable production, floriculture, temperate fruits, post-harvest physiology, functional food development, veterinary diagnostics, precision livestock farming, waste-to-wealth technologies, microbial feed enhancement, digital agriculture, and sanitary and phytosanitary systems. Germplasm exchanges will include soybean, sunflower, maize, blueberry, citrus, wild papaya species, guava, and selected vegetable crops.
The partnership will also strengthen cooperation in oilseeds and pulses value chains, agricultural mechanisation-including zero-tillage, cotton harvesting machinery, and drones-and horticulture value chain development, including infrastructure and planting material exchanges. In plant and animal health, the Work Plan envisions region-specific strategies for Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) elimination and enhanced collaboration on locust surveillance and management through technical exchanges and best-practice sharing.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the India–Argentina scientific partnership, agreeing to annual monitoring and review to ensure effective implementation and progress.
UNI AAB
India and Argentina sign ICAR–INTA work plan 2025–2027 to boost agricultural collaboration
