India and Brazil have agreed to strengthen their cooperation in agriculture and allied farm sectors. Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairying Minister Parshottam Rupala met his Brazilian counterpart Marcos Cordeiro during a five-day visit that concluded on May 20.
“Rupala held very fruitful discussions with his Brazilian counterpart and both ministers agreed to further strengthen the mutually beneficial ties," an official statement said. Rupala also held meetings with Presidents of the Brazilian Association of Zebu Breeders (ABCZ), Mayor of Uberaba, Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA), and Brazilian Cooperatives Organization (OCB) and discussed ways to increase cooperation in the dairy sector through Research and development (R&D), genetic improvement, and trade and investment.
In January 2020, Brazil for the first time in its history had signed 15 memorandum of understandings (MoU) and agreements with India and decided to widen cooperation in various areas including animal husbandry and dairying, oil and natural gas, bio-energy, ethanol, trade and investment, and many more. A Joint Declaration of Technical Cooperation between the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and Brazilian Zebu Breeders Association (ABCZ) was also signed in 2020.
During the visit, Rupala also visited the Embrapa Cattle Dairy (Embrapa Gado de Leite) research center in Juiz de Fora and stressed on the early finalization and implementation of a work plan under the MoU signed in 2016. Training of Indian professionals in Brazil in IVF technology and identification of Brazilian companies to take up IVF embryo production in India are the key activities being identified under the work plan.
Source: news18.com