Ind-US Co-operation in Agriculture

Ind-US Co-operation in Agriculture

News: A brief history of the US role in independent India’s agricultural development is useful in the context of the Indian PM’s upcoming visit to the US.

What is role of USA in Agri development in India?
India’s first Agri university
 The UP Agricultural University (later renamed B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology) was inaugurated in 1960. It is based on the US land-grant model – which integrated teaching, research and extension.
 Since then, 7 more universities received the US Agency for International Development’s assistance for the training of faculty and the provision of equipment and books.

Green Revolution
 The US aided India’s Green Revolution by supplying seeds with a high output when administered with more inputs (nutrients and water).
 By 1968, India had transformed from a ship-to-mouth shortage economy to a country that shut down schools and cinema theatres to store surplus food.

Why does US help India?
 The Cold War geopolitics and great-power rivalry of those times resulted in competition to extend help to those goods that were viewed as “global public goods”. India’s strategy of “non-alignment” paid off then, just as “multi-alignment” is today.
 Today, the Indian market can provide significant new investment opportunities in cold chain transportation logistics and frozen foods distribution.

What efforts are being made with other countries?
 India and Israel are implementing the “INDO-ISRAEL Agricultural Project Centres of Excellence” and “INDO-ISRAEL Villages of Excellence”.
 India and Vietnam agreed to strengthen their specific cooperation to develop a hi-tech agricultural relation in association with environmental protection.
 An India-ASEAN Working Group on Agriculture has been formed, as agriculture is a critical sector for the economy of India as well as the ASEAN Member States.

Way Forward
 India’s ambitious targets of Doubling farmer’s income, reducing fertilizer use, restoring degraded land and others call for extra efforts and collaborations with Foreign countries.