India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have decided to implement a new five-year action plan to enhance cooperation in agriculture and forestry, following their ninth ministerial meeting on the subject in the national capital.
The meeting, held on September 9, was jointly chaired by Philippines Agriculture Secretary Francisco P Tiu Laurel, representing the ASEAN chair, and India’s Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
According to a statement released after the meeting, the new ASEAN-India Medium-Term Plan of Action for 2026-2030 will guide collaboration in four main domains: policy dialogue and trade within resilient value chains; institutional networking and digital innovation; technology cooperation and collaborative research; and human resource development, including farmer exchange programs.
Ministers concurred that implementing the plan should focus first on measures that are practical and centred on farmers.
Key collaborative priorities encompass low-emission rice cultivation, boosting water-use efficiency, integrating artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things into farming, improving soil health, developing climate-resilient crop varieties, reinforcing food safety measures, cutting post-harvest losses, encouraging alternatives to crop-residue burning, and promoting sustainable forest management, along with other related initiatives.
The meeting also assessed the implementation of the outgoing 2021–2025 plan, highlighting key accomplishments such as the ASEAN-India Millets Festivals held in Jakarta and New Delhi in 2023, and the launch in 2024 of an ASEAN-India fellowship programme that will provide 50 Master’s scholarships over five years to students from ASEAN nations in agriculture and related disciplines.
Ministers observed that global uncertainties including climate change, geopolitical frictions, instability in fertiliser and energy markets, and trade disruptions, have reinforced the importance of robust food and agricultural supply chains.
They urged enhanced regional monitoring, improved early-warning mechanisms, and more diversified sources of supply, with a particular focus on small-scale farmers and vulnerable communities.
The meeting instructed senior officials from both sides to translate the new plan into a “results-oriented” rolling work programme, specifying timelines, lead institutions, and funding arrangements. It was further agreed that the tenth ministerial meeting will take place in 2028.
