Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held a bilateral meeting with Fiji’s Minister for Agriculture and Waterways, Tomasi Tunabuna, in New Delhi on Thursday to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the agriculture sector.
The meeting took place at Krishi Bhawan, where both sides reviewed ongoing collaborations and discussed new areas for future cooperation. Chouhan said India and Fiji share long-standing historical ties based on mutual respect, cooperation, and strong cultural and people-to-people connections. He also stressed that agriculture and food security are important areas where both countries can work closely together.
The two ministers held detailed discussions on several issues of shared interest. They agreed to extend the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on agricultural cooperation for another five years. They also decided to set up a Joint Working Group to help move forward agreed projects and initiatives.
Key areas discussed included student exchange programmes, training and capacity-building initiatives, and sharing of agricultural technology. This includes support for small-scale farming machinery and digital agriculture tools. The ministers also talked about improving research cooperation, exchanging genetic resources, and sharing knowledge on how to reduce food loss and waste.
The Fijian delegation included ministers, senior officials, and representatives from the sugar industry, while the Indian side was represented by senior officials from the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, along with other officials.
