What happened?
On October 31, 2025 India and the Netherlands held the eighth meeting of their Joint Working Group (JWG) on Agriculture at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi, to review ongoing collaboration and explore new avenues in the sector. The meeting was co-chaired by Priya Ranjan, Joint Secretary (Horticulture), Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, and Guido Landheer from the Netherlands’ Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. Both sides discussed shared priorities, challenges, and emerging opportunities in agriculture, highlighting the success of Indo-Dutch Centres of Excellence, which have trained thousands of farmers and introduced advanced horticultural technologies.
Why it matters to India
The meeting reaffirmed the growing agricultural partnership between India and the Netherlands, a key EU partner in food processing and agri-innovation. The focus on expanding cooperation in areas like circular agriculture, food safety, greenhouse technologies, and dairy aligns with India’s goals of modernising its farm sector and boosting exports. By deepening technology exchange and capacity building, the partnership supports India’s efforts to make agriculture more productive, sustainable, and globally competitive.