NASDA Delegates Meet Agriculture Secretary Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi to Foster Indo-US Agricultural Collaboration

Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW), met with a delegation from the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), USA, at Krishi Bhawa, today. The meeting focused on fostering deeper dialogue and exploring strengthening collaboration in key areas of agriculture.

The discussions highlighted several priority sectors for cooperation, including Climate-Smart Agriculture, Agricultural Productivity Growth, Agricultural Innovation, Forecasting and Production Reporting, Crop Risk Protection, and Agricultural Credit.

Key areas for of discussion were Cold Chain Management for fruits and vegetables, Voluntary Carbon Credit Initiatives, Precision Agriculture through the use of Artificial Intelligence and advanced technologies, Investment Opportunities in Food Processing Industries, Crop Insurance, Capacity Building, and cooperation in agriculture statistics.

The US delegation was led by Mr. Wesley Ward, President of NASDA, and included Ms. Martha Van Dale, Chief Operating Officer, and Mr. W. Garth Thorburn from the US Embassy. The Indian side was represented by Dr. P.K. Meherda, Additional Secretary (DAFW), along with senior officials from the Ministry, including the Joint Secretaries for NRM/IC and PMFBY/PP, the Horticulture Commissioner, and the Additional Director General of ICAR.