Israel planning two agri learning centres in MP: Envoy

Israel is planning to set up two agriculture learning centres in Madhya Pradesh with an aim to strengthen its partnership with India in the farm sector, its envoy said here today.

"India and Israel are working on to strengthen the partnership and cooperation in the fields of agriculture and water. As part of these efforts, two more agriculture learning and training centres are planned in Madhya Pradesh. I hope this will do wonders in the farm sector," Israel Consul General in Mumbai Yaakov Finkelstein told reporters here.

He said these centres are proposed in Sehore and Shajapur districts of the state.

"In Sehore district, a centre for floriculture is planned while a learning centre for oranges is proposed in Shajapur," said the envoy.

He said a proposal in this regard is currently pending with the Centre.

"Israeli expertise and technology would be shared with farmers at these two centres," Finkelstein said, adding that 20 such centres are already functioning in India whereas 28 such centres are being set up.

Madhya Pradesh being the "heart" of India need to be connected with Israel, he said.

The counsel general said the cooperation between the two countries got a boost after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu visited each other's countries.

"The Indo-Israel cooperation in fields like smart city development, innovative technologies etc. is on the rise after the biggest-ever business delegation from Israel visited India along with Netanyahu," he said.

Earlier in the day, Finkelstein paid a courtesy visit to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

He invited Chouhan to visit Israel and participate in the 20th International Agriculture Exhibition Agritech 2018, being organised from May 8 to 10 at Trade Fair and Convention Centre, Tel Aviv.

Information regarding innovative efforts made by Israel for effective agriculture production would be shared at the exhibition, he added.