India, Argentina Sign ICAR–INTA Work Plan 2025–27
Agreement boosts agri research, technology exchange and sustainable farming cooperation
- ICAR and Argentina’s INTA sign Work Plan for 2025–27
- Focus on sustainable agronomy, digital agriculture and biotechnology
- Includes germplasm exchange, training and expert collaboration
- Cooperation expands to oilseeds, pulses, mechanisation and livestock
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 18th Dec: India and Argentina on Wednesday signed the ICAR–INTA Work Plan for 2025–27, aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in agricultural research, capacity building and technology exchange.
The Work Plan was exchanged 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 Argentina to India. The agreement marks a key step in deepening scientific and technological collaboration between the two countries in the agriculture sector.
Under the Work Plan, cooperation will span natural resource management, sustainable agronomy including zero tillage, mechanisation, micro-irrigation and fertigation, crop and animal biotechnology, livestock improvement, and production technologies for both temperate and tropical crops. Other focus areas include digital agriculture, biosafety, phytosanitary measures and agricultural value chain development.
The collaboration will be implemented through joint research projects, germplasm exchange, expert engagements, and structured training and study visits. Planned programmes will cover greenhouse vegetable production, floriculture and 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 exchange under the agreement will include soybean, sunflower, maize, blueberry, citrus, wild papaya species, guava and select vegetable crops. Both sides will also deepen cooperation in oilseeds and pulses value chains, agricultural mechanisation—covering zero-tillage systems, cotton harvesting machinery and drones—and horticulture value chain development, including infrastructure and planting material exchange.
In the area of plant and animal health, the Work Plan envisages region-specific strategies for the elimination of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) and enhanced collaboration on locust surveillance and management through technical exchanges and sharing of best practices.
India and Argentina reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the bilateral scientific partnership and agreed to conduct annual monitoring and reviews to ensure effective implementation and steady progress under the ICAR–INTA collaboration.
