Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that India-Israel cooperation in agriculture will be elevated to a “new level” and that 75 Indian villages will be jointly built with Israel to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India’s independence. On Wednesday, Tomar, who will be on a four-day official visit to Israel on May 8, met his Israeli counterpart Oded Forerl at the Knesset (Israel’s parliament).

They discussed various issues related to modern agricultural technologies, capacity building, knowledge and technology transfer, and support in the fields of agriculture, water resources management, environment and rural development, taking into account the scope and potential of agricultural development in both countries, The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare said in a statement.

As India and Israel celebrate their 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the ongoing bilateral partnership will be further strengthened through “exchange visits and experience sharing”, the visiting minister said. This year India celebrates 75 years of independence, and “we have decided to work with Israel to build 75 or more extraordinary villages,” Tomar said.

Forer said Israel wants to take to the “next level” of the Centres of Excellence (CoE) that his country has established in different parts of India. India currently has 29 fully operational centres of excellence providing vital information on emerging technologies in the agricultural sector to improve farmers’ yields. The Israeli agriculture minister said trade relations between the two countries would also be strengthened soon. India and Israel have agreed to finalise a free trade agreement (FTA) by June.

The agreement was reached by Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid during a visit to Israel last October. The delegation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, headed by Tomar, held extensive discussions with key institutions and technology companies in agriculture and horticulture.

The delegation visited the facilities of Green 2000 – Agriculture Equipment and Know-How Ltd. and NETAFIM Ltd., which are engaged in the planning, setup, consulting and ongoing management of various micro and smart irrigation projects around the world. “Focusing on high-value crops, vegetables and fruits, understanding the application of technology in agriculture and innovative procedures were the highlights of the visit,” the delegation said.

Tomar also conducted roundtable discussions with six Israeli agtech startups at the Israel Institute for Export and International Cooperation. He invited these companies to work in India. The delegation visited the Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), the Institute of Volcanology, to learn about its expertise in agriculture in arid conditions, poor soils, irrigation through sewage and brackish water, and methods to minimise post-harvest losses.