Mizoram to get first regional agricultural centre with Israeli collaboration

A regional centre for agriculture set up with Israeli collaboration will be inaugurated in Mizoram -- the first of its kind in the northeast region -- on March 7.

The centre has been set up to exclusively process citrus fruits.

Israel will provide the expertise and professional support to run the centre, which will cater to the entire northeast, Israel Ambassador to India Daniel Carmon said during a meeting with Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) in the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Jitendra Singh.

An official statement said that the project was a result of the collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and the governments of Israel and Mizoram.

There are 22 such centres operational in India, including in Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab. The first such centre was established in 2008 in Haryana.

Carmon said that Israel wants to establish one centre in each of the remaining states in India in the future.

The Ministry for the Development of North Eastern Region will coordinate wherever required.

"It will benefit the farmers of northeastern region in the long run. It will also serve as a model of learning for other countries in the Indian subcontinent," Singh added.

--IANS

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