The Maharashtra Agriculture Department has signed a MoU with the United States through the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Foreign Agricultural Service to give the farmers’ access to data on market information, improve the agricultural value chains and facilitate agribusiness investment.
Dadaji Bhuse, State Agriculture Minister said, “The campaign ‘Vikel te Pikel’ — ‘Produce that can be sold’ — is being executed in the State for assured market for the produce. As part of that, the Hon. Balashaeb Thackeray Agribusiness & Rural Transformation (SMART) Project is implemented with the support of the World Bank. The project is to support development of inclusive & competitive agri-business value chains with focus on small holder farmers.”
Minister said, as part of the SMART Project, the Agriculture Department with the help of the USDA will increase the capacity of the State machinery in the agriculture statistics, organizing commodity stewardship council, marketing, marketing intelligence, etc.
The MoU will provide a framework for a technical cooperation in development of the market information systems and potential collaboration in other areas and through the agreement the U.S Department of Agriculture will support Maharashtra’s efforts to help & support the farmers by increasing the agricultural value chains, developing resilient production systems and facilitating the agri-business investment.
David J. Ranz, the Consul General said, “This Memorandum of Understanding represents the most ambitious bilateral capacity building effort between the U.S Department of Agriculture and the Indian Government entity to date. Maharashtra is an agricultural powerhouse, as US, and play most important role in ensuring a global food security, as well as meeting the growing demand for fuel and fiber. This Memorandum of Understanding demonstrates our commitment to increasing the farmers’ welfare and making our agriculture production system more sustainable and efficient through sharing of best skills and practices.
The Foreign Agricultural Service is an agency of the United States Government, which links its agriculture to the world to enhance the export opportunities & global food security. For more than a decade, the Foreign Agriculture Service has been training the Indian Officials and Agriculture Professionals through its Cochran & Borlaug Fellowship Programs.
