India and Ukraine Hold First Joint Working Group Meeting on Agriculture Cooperation under 2024 Bilateral Agreement.
Committies and Meeting
In June 2025, India and Ukraine convened their inaugural Joint Working Group (JWG) on agricultural cooperation, following the 2024 bilateral agreement, to outline collaborative research, trade, and technology exchanges for the next five years.
- Following the August 2024 signing of an Agreement on Cooperation in Agriculture and Food Industry, ratified by PM Narendra Modi and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, both countries constituted a Joint Working Group (JWG). This body meets biennially to steer cooperation across agriculture, research, trade, and food safety.
- The JWG’s mandate covers a wide spectrum: exchange of legal standards, crop genetics, plant protection methods, irrigation techniques (especially micro-irrigation), fertiliser usage, and seed certification. It will also facilitate joint research into aquaculture, livestock improvement, mechanisation, and agri-biotech.
- The meeting was co-chaired by India’s Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare representatives—supported by scientists from ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research)—and Ukraine’s Ministry of Agrarian Policy, led by Acting Minister Taras Vysotskyi, reaffirming high-level commitment.
Main Point :- (i) A core objective of the JWG is to create “favourable market conditions” by exchanging information on standards, packaging, and food safety norms, and by promoting joint ventures. The goal is to expand bilateral agricultural trade and strengthen each country’s food security.
(ii) The JWG has outlined a roadmap for joint scientific efforts in areas like genomics, plant breeding, biotechnology, aquaculture and fishery technology, soil productivity, water management, and modern farm mechanisation. These initiatives will be jointly piloted and later scaled up.
(iii) The current JWG meets under an agreement valid for five years, automatically extendable in five-year increments. Meetings will alternate between India and Ukraine every two years. Upcoming tasks include drafting work plans, setting research priorities, and identifying pilot projects in micro-irrigation, dairy breeding, and seed certification.
About Ukraine
Prime minister: Denys Shmyhal
Capital: Kyiv
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