BRICS agriculture ministers to meet on Sept 23

The sixth meeting of BRICS on Agriculture and Agrarian Development begins in New Delhi on September 22, with an official level meeting to be followed by a ministerial meeting the next day.

The two-day conference will be hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and will centre round the five priority areas of cooperation in the BRICS Action Plan for 2012-2016.

The areas of cooperation include creating basic agricultural information exchange system, strategy for ensuring access to food for the most vulnerable population, reducing negative impact of climate change on food security and adaptation of agriculture to climatic changes, enhancing agricultural technology cooperation and innovation, trade and investment promotion.

The agenda of the BRICS meetings has considerably widened over the years encompassing global issues such as climate change, food and energy security, Strategic Development Goals (SDGs), International Economic and Financial Situation etc.

Detailed discussions will also be held on the BRICS Agricultural Research Centre which is likely to be set up in India. The centre is expected to work on agricultural science, policy research and development extension, technology transfer, training and capacity building and scientific information sharing. The centre is expected to act as a forum for academicians, scholars, researchers and students for agricultural in advancement.

Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy of all BRICS countries being the major producers, consumers and exporters of agricultural, horticultural and meat products. BRICS countries enjoy strength in the form of knowledge, expertise and research facilities and capabilities in agriculture. These strengths need to be converged and galvanised for ensuring global food security.

India assumed the Presidency of BRICS countries this year and has been hosting a number of mega level meetings in different sectors at the ministerial and official level. The BRICS summit is scheduled to be held in Goa on 15th and 16th October, 2016.