India-New Zealand FTA beneficial for diary sector as India plans new tech absorption, raising farm income: MEA

Auckland [New Zealand], July 11 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday said that dairy is a sensitive sector in India, but they have signed the Agricultural Productivity Arrangement, under which both India and New Zealand will be cooperating on agrotech issues.

Addressing a special media briefing during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official visit to New Zealand, Secretary (East) in the MEA, Rudrendra Tandon noted that in India, there is a system of cooperative-based dairies, instead of larger commercial operations.

"So dairy, as you know, is a very sensitive sector in India. That's because of the unique structure of our agriculture sector. We don't have large commercial dairies. For us, we are a cooperative-based dairy. And this is a very important source of liquidity for a small and marginal farmer and sometimes for people who work in the agriculture sector but who don't own land," he said.

"However, having said that, New Zealand is an agrotech giant. They have developed some very advanced technologies in the entire range of activities in the agriculture sector. And in fact, we are under the FTA, we are signing... we have this package of... which is the Agricultural Productivity Arrangement, under which we explicitly will be cooperating on these agrotech issues which will eventually benefit our dairy industry and the development," he added.

It is also Government of India's plan to commercialize and to raise farm income, so absorption of new technology is very important part of our agriculture policy, the MEA Secretary mentioned.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon recognised the important role of the FTA in strengthening the bilateral economic partnership, including through the removal of barriers to trade, increased cooperation, and New Zealand's promotion of investment into India. The Prime Ministers noted that New Zealand can support India's Viksit Bharat goal to become a developed country by 2047, including through cooperation in trade, agriculture, skills, innovation, clean energy, sport, and other areas, a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said. (ANI)

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