 "Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Mozambique President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi during a restricted meeting at Presidential Office in Maputo, Mozambique")
India and Mozambique on Thursday signed an agreement where New Delhi will buy pulses from the southern African nation.
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The agreement, one of the three, was signed in Maputo. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, currently on a four-nation Africa visit, said: "India's commitment to buy pulses from Mozambique would help meet India's requirement. It will also facilitate long-term investments in commercial farming, generation of farm employment and raise farmers' incomes in this country (Mozambique)," he said.According to the agreement, India will encourage greater production of pulses in Mozambique with an assurance that it will be purchased by India at a mutually-agreed price. While India generally has a shortfall of pulses leading to price rise, Mozambique grows the commodity without much consumption locally, officials said, adding the agreement will be a "win-win" for the two countries.
Last month, the Union Cabinet cleared a proposal to enter into an agreement with Mozambique for importing 100,000 tonnes of pulses in 2016-17 with an option to scale it up to 200,000 tonnes by 2020-2021. The agreement will promote production of pigeon peas or tur in Mozambique. These would be imported either through private channels or through nominated state agencies, an official statement issued after the Cabinet meeting said.
Modi is the first Indian prime minister to visit Mozambique in 34 years. He will also visit South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya.
