The 30th Indo-Israel Center of Excellence opened in Haryana on Sunday, January 22, 2023. This milestone coincides with the 30th anniversary of full diplomatic relations between India and Israel. The centre, located in Gignow, Bhiwani, was inaugurated by Jai Parkash Dalal, Minister of Agriculture for Haryana, Kamal Patel, Minister of Agriculture for Madhya Pradesh, and Naor Gilon, Ambassador of Israel to India.
The 30th Indo-Israel Center of Excellence was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Indian government, the state government of Haryana, and MASHAV - Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel.
The 30th Indo-Israel Center of Excellence is dedicated to the cultivation of semi-arid horticultural crops and established as part of the Indo-Israel Agricultural Project. Israel, renowned for its ability to "make the desert bloom," is a leader in developing sustainable technologies and solutions for agriculture. With decades of experience in successfully overcoming harsh climatic conditions and maximizing resources in arid environments, Israel is well-suited to share its expertise in this field with India.
Speaking on this occasion, Ambassador Naor Gilon said: “This is a significant milestone in the agricultural cooperation between Israel and India. It is very special as this is the 30th Centre of Excellence inaugurated as our countries are nearing the completion of 30 years of full diplomatic relations."
"With this inauguration, we now have 30 fully-active Centers of Excellence in different states across India. More such centres are in the pipeline. These centres are increasing farmers’ yield and productivity while diversifying local crops and improving the quality of produce,” the Israeli ambassador added.
These centres provide a suitable platform for a rapid transfer of technology to Indian farmers. New agricultural technologies such as protected cultivation, drip irrigation and fertigation are demonstrated here. The methods and technologies are adapted to the local conditions and requirements of the Indian farmers, with the intent of significantly increasing their income.
Every year, the centres produce more than 40 million premium-quality vegetable seedlings, and over 500 thousand high-quality fruit plants, and train more than 120 thousand Indian farmers.
MASHAV also brings many Israeli experts to India and trains the trainers of these centres throughout the year. Similarly, Indian agricultural officers heading these centres receive training in Israel. For example, over 60 Indian government officials visited Israel to receive training last year.
The Israel-India cooperation in agriculture has deepened and widened since full diplomatic relations were established in 1992. During the initial period of the establishment of the Centers of Excellence, the newest technologies in a range of agricultural fields were brought from Israel and implemented at these centers.