Agricultural collaboration between Israel and India is strengthening farming practices in the mango, pomegranate, citrus and vegetable sectors across several Indian states, and will continue to boost output as the program enters its third phase.

This is the assertion of Israeli officials who attended a five-day workshop in Karnal recently as part on an ongoing project to operate 29 centers of excellence across India.

Under the current framework of the Indo-Israel Agriculture Project Cooperation Project (IIAP), Indian farmers are being trained to maximize yield potentials and cultivate export-ready fresh produce by Israeli experts passing on knowledge and technologies to help increase production and quality.

So far, 29 centers of excellence are in various stages of development across 10 states.

More than 40 project officers, heads of state horticulture departments, center of excellence directors and irrigation specialists also attended theworkshop, the largest so far in the joint project.

Topics included soil water plant climate methods, applied hydraulics, micro irrigation techniques, and water quality principles, filtering systems, fertilizer application, irrigation control and advanced irrigation technology.

Israel, with its vast regions of arid and semi-arid land, is a pioneer in drip irrigation, purifying and water recycling techniques for agriculture.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the workshop, Israel’s Deputy Ambassador to India, Yahel Vilan, said the partnership was going from strength to strength.

"We are very proud of this cooperation between India and Israel. Four years ago, when we were at the initial planning stages of the second phase of the Indo-Israel Agricultural cooperation, we could not have imagined how well it would develop and the immense impact it would have on the Indian farmers," he said in a release.

"Having project officers from all the centers of excellence, sharing best practices with our Israeli experts is the proof that in agriculture cooperation, we have gone a long way.

"Nevertheless, the potential to continue this is even greater."

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