New Delhi: In 2006, India and Israel signed an agreement for cooperation in the field of agriculture, titled the Indo-Israel Agricultural Project (IIAP), aiming to improve crop diversity, increase productivity and optimise use of water in India. Israel considers it “the largest agriculture project it is leading in India”.

The project is implemented though establishment of Centers of Excellence (CoE) in Indian states, where Israel’s expertise and knowledge in agriculture and related technologies is disseminated with a focus on local Indian conditions, such as soil, weather and crops specific to each state, according to the website of the Embassy of Israel in India.The major stakeholders in the IIAP are MASHAV — Israel’s agency for international development cooperation — the Government of India, which sanctions funds for the establishment of CoEs, and the state governments, which define “key crops” for the project and allocate land and staff. So far, 31 Centres of Excellence have been established in 13 states.

Support from Israel for the project is non-monetary in nature, and includes the training of CoE personnel — imparted in both India and Israel — sharing research knowledge based on local conditions, and transferring knowledge on the operation of agricultural technologies.

This knowledge relates to areas including nursery management, cultivation techniques, irrigation, fertigation and sustainability.

The CoEs are further encouraged to adopt nearby villages — ‘Villages of Excellence’ — and equip farmers with the technologies demonstrated at the centre to support the adoption of new methods, according to officials at the centres.

Israel’s contribution to Indian farming practises, according to a statement from the Israeli Embassy in India, was the initiative’s main success.

“We imported Israeli components for drip irrigation systems and other agricultural technology when we created our first Centre of Excellence in Karnal (Haryana). These components are now made domestically in India, it said.

When this report was published, the Ministry of Agriculture had not yet responded to inquiries from the media made by phone and email regarding the matter. If and when an answer is received, it will be updated. The CoEs’ farmers in training declined to comment.

(This story has not been edited by Bharat Express staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)