Finance
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Ghana’s Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Wednesday, marking a crucial step toward boosting agricultural collaboration.
The agreement intends to encourage collaborative research, technology transfer, capacity building, and commercialization of agricultural breakthroughs, reaffirming India’s commitment to South-South and India-Africa cooperation.
The MoU was signed in the presence of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
The five-year agreement lays the groundwork for stronger cooperation in agricultural science, education, and technical exchange between the two countries.
As part of the cooperation, the institutions will collaborate on research initiatives, enable the exchange of scientists and technical specialists, and share scientific information, research methodology, and breeding materials.
The collaboration will also foster institutional links between agricultural research centers in India and Ghana, promoting long-term scientific engagement.
The first phase of the venture will concentrate on vegetable crop research, specifically tomatoes. Under the agreement, ICAR will promote the introduction of suitable high-yielding tomato varieties as well as the scaling up of established agricultural technology to boost Ghana’s local tomato production.
Beyond vegetables, the alliance will work to improve value addition and processing of cassava, yam, and other tuber crops. The two sides will collaborate to strengthen agricultural value chains through the use of innovative technologies and better farming practices.
Post-harvest management has been identified as a critical area of collaboration. The alliance will provide technical assistance and capacity-building activities in fields such as cold storage, refrigerated transportation, sorting, grading, and food processing technology. These techniques are designed to reduce post-harvest losses and boost agricultural profitability.
Arima Farms Ltd. in Ghana has been acknowledged as the commercial collaborator with CSIR-CRI for designated research and commercialization efforts under the agreement, facilitating the connection between agricultural research and market implementation.
The MoU’s implementation will be managed by a Joint Working Group featuring representatives from ICAR and CSIR-CRI. The team will regularly convene in New Delhi and Accra to assess advancements and direct upcoming initiatives within the collaboration.
Source: IANS
