The high-level gathering brought together agriculture ministers and senior officials from BIMSTEC member states—India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, and Sri Lanka—to explore enhanced regional collaboration in agriculture and food security.
Union Minister of Agriculture, Farmers Welfare, and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, took part in the third BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Wednesday. The high-level gathering brought together agriculture ministers and senior officials from BIMSTEC member states—India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, and Sri Lanka—to explore enhanced regional collaboration in agriculture and food security.
Chouhan’s participation reaffirmed India’s commitment to boosting agricultural cooperation within the BIMSTEC framework. Speaking at the event, he underscored India’s efforts in improving farmers’ welfare through direct cash transfers, expanding institutional credit, and promoting organic and natural farming practices. He emphasised that regional partnerships are crucial to ensuring food security and sustainable agricultural growth in the Bay of Bengal region.
During his visit, Chouhan also held bilateral talks with Nepal’s Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Ram Nath Adhikari. The two leaders reviewed the existing cooperation between India and Nepal in the field of agriculture and explored avenues for deepening their collaboration for mutual benefit.
A significant outcome of their meeting was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on agricultural cooperation between the two nations. The MoU aims to strengthen bilateral engagement in areas such as enhancing crop productivity, improving post-harvest management, building resilient agri-marketing systems, and promoting climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture.
Announcing the development on social media, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu stated: “Ministers signed an MoU for Cooperation in the Field of Agriculture between India and Nepal. The agreement will give a fresh impetus to the ongoing cooperation, especially in areas such as improving crop productivity, post-harvest management and marketing as also climate resilient & sustainable agriculture.”
Chouhan echoed this sentiment in a post on X, saying, “It gives me immense pleasure to share that the Hon’ble Union Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Development of Nepal, Shri Ram Nath Adhikari Ji, and I have signed an MoU on ‘Cooperation in the Field of Agriculture between India and Nepal.’”
He added, “This agreement will further deepen the partnership between our two nations with a focus on enhancing crop productivity, improving post-harvest management, strengthening agri-marketing systems, and promoting climate-resilient and sustainable agricultural practices.”
The one-day ministerial meeting offered participating countries a platform to exchange best practices and build frameworks for cooperative agricultural development in the region. According to India’s Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, such dialogues are critical for fostering food security, climate adaptation, and technological innovation across BIMSTEC countries.
Chouhan’s visit and the outcomes of the Kathmandu meeting signal a renewed push by India to lead regional efforts in sustainable agricultural transformation, with a strong focus on collaboration, technology sharing, and joint research initiatives.
