India Seeks Market Access For 10 Agri Products From Israel

New Delhi: India has requested Israel to provide market access for 10 agricultural commodities during a bilateral meeting between Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his Israeli counterpart Avi Dichter on Tuesday here.

The products India is seeking access for include onion, potato, garlic, green chilies, turmeric, pineapple, mango, pomegranate, grapes, and okra seeds. "On day-to-day trade, we are going to communicate to both Plant Protection Indian Israel Services (PPIS) in order to make sure that we shall be able to increase merchandise shipments from one side to the another," Dichter told media after the meeting. The two countries also signed a bilateral pact to extend cooperation in agriculture, with a work plan discussed for 2024-26. India expressed particular interest in exporting onions and green chilies to Israel and will send technical information soon, according to sources.

India also requested Israel to expedite the process and grant market access to the other eight commodities at the earliest, sources added. A joint working group will be formed to develop a roadmap focusing on research and development activities with Israeli agency Mashav to develop climate-resilient seeds and improve seed quality for farmers.