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HP CM meets Dutch agri secretary general to discuss agri cooperation
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Saturday, 15 June, 2019, 12 : 00 PM [IST]
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Our Bureau, New Delhi
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Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur and his delegation held discussions with Jan-Kees Goet, secretary general, Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, the Netherlands, on cooperation in the fields of agriculture, horticulture and allied sectors in Amsterdam recently.
Thakur apprised Goet about the immense potential that the northern Indian state has been bestowed by nature in fruit production. He added that Himachal Pradesh was known as the Fruit Bowl of India and produces varied types of fruits due to its different climatic conditions. The chief minister added that there was a vast scope of investment in fruit and food processing.
Thakur said that the Netherlands has perfection on water management and good innovative practices in agriculture and horticulture by using less land, and this can be very beneficial for a state like Himachal Pradesh.
He invited the Dutch secretary general and his ministry to the Global Investors’ Meet, which is slated to take place in Dharamshala in November 2019, shortly after the World Food Expo, which will take place in New Delhi on November 3-4, 2019.
Goet said that the Netherlands had created the golden triangle of collaboration between three main stakeholders, viz. the government, research centres and agricultural businesses. He also accepted the chief minister's invitation to attend the Global Investors’ Meet.
Later, Thakur held discussions with Jaap Smit, King’s Commissioner of South Holland, Provinciehuis, Zuid Hollandlaan, Hague, on the scope of cooperation in the fields of agriculture, horticulture, etc.
He assured his cooperation with Himachal Pradesh in organising its maiden Global Investors’ Meet at Dharamshala, and to lead Dutch business and trade missions to this mega event.
The chief minister and other members of the delegation also visited Greentech exhibition in Amsterdam RAI. Greentech is globally the largest horticulture-based exhibition, and Thakur evinced keen interest in it.
Bikram Singh, industries minister, Himachal Pradesh; Venu Rajamony, ambassador of India to the Netherlands; Dr Shrikant Baldi, additional chief secretary-cum-principal secretary to chief minister; Manoj Kumar, additional chief secretary, industries, Himachal Pradesh; Hans Raj Sharma, director, industries, Himachal Pradesh, Abid Husain Sadiq, special secretary, Himachal Pradesh, and other senior officers were present on the occasion.
Varsity visit
A delegation led by Thakur visited the globally-renowned Wageningen University to understand the work on post-harvest research and agro-food robotics being carried out by the research faculty of the university.
He said that Wageningen university is already engaged in some projects in Himachal Pradesh, particularly in the area of controlled-atmosphere (CA) stores.
The scope of extended cooperation and possible collaboration was also explored during the visit.
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