"The World and Japan" Database (Project Leader: TANAKA Akihiko)
Database of Japanese Politics and International Relations
National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS); Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia (IASA), The University of Tokyo

[Title] Cooperation between India and Japan on Agriculture, Food Processing, Food Safety, Forestry, and Fisheries

[Place]
[Date] October 29, 2018
[Source] Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
[Notes]
[Full text]

A: Agriculture

1. Joint Working Group based on the MOC between MAFF and MoAFW

(i) Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) signed on 11 November 2016 (when the Prime Minister Modi visited Japan)

(ii) The 1st Joint Working Group (JWG) was held on 6 November 2017 (after the World Food India (WFI) 2017])

A. Identified three areas of cooperation:

a) Agricultural productivity b) Food processing

c) Fisheries

iii) "The Program for Promoting Investment into India by Japan in the field of Agriculture and Fisheries"

Based on the discussion at the 1st JWG, (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare (MoAFW)) deliberated the way to promote the investment into India on agriculture and fisheries and signed "The Program for Promoting Investment into India by Japan in the Field of Agriculture and Fisheries" on 29 October 2018.

(iv) ISE Food's Telangana Mega Project supported by the Japan-India Food Business Council was registered as the first investment case for the Programme.

2. Indo-Japan Agricultural Center of Excellence

- MAFF and MoAFW discussed as to how Japan can contribute to improve agricultural productivity by using Japanese technologies.

- One idea is to set up Indo-Japan Agricultural Center of Excellence where Japanese technologies are showcased, spread, and products made with these technologies are sold.

3. Research Cooperation

(i) MOU on Joint Research between Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) was signed on 9 February 2018

(ii) First kick-off meeting was held on 15 June 2018 in Karnal and discussed the cooperation on (a) development of low-cost subsurface drainage and irrigation technology in salt-affected fields for sustainable agricultural production, and (b) development of regionally-adopted salt- tolerant crop.

B: Food processing

1. World Food India 2017

Japan participated in the WFI 2017 as a partner country and Mr. Taniai, State Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan led the Japanese delegation. Approximately 60 Japanese companies participated in the event.

2. MOC between MAFF and MoFPI

(i) MOC between MAFF and MoFPI was signed and exchanged in the presence of two leaders of Japan and India on 29 October 2018.

3. MOU between MoFPI and Japanese companies

(i) Signed the first MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) between Ministry of Food Processing Industry (MoFPI) and a Japanese company (ISE Food) on 13 March 2018.

(ii) Signed MOUs between MoFPI and Japanese companies (Kagome and Nissan Steel) on 29 October 2018.

4 Associations for studying Indian Agro-Food Market in Japan

(i) MAFF is promoting the development of Global Food Value Chain (GFVC) and organised the India Sub-committee of the Public-Private Council for Promoting GFVC in March 2018.

Approximately 400 companies are the members of the Council.

(ii) The Japan India Food Business Council was launched in May 2018.

C: Food safety

MOC between FSSAI and the Japanese Government

Signed MOC between Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Food Safety Commission, Consumer Affairs Agency, Ministry Health, Labor and Welfare and MAFF of Japan on 29 October 2018.

D: Forestry

Joint Working Group based on the MOC between MAFF and MoEF&CC

(i) MOC between MAFF and Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Climate Change

(MoEF&CC) was signed on 11 December 2015.

- Identified seven areas of cooperation

a) Human resource development and institutional exchange between training institutes

b) Sustainableforestmanagement

c) Enhancement of forest conservation and forest disaster prevention

d) Conservationofbiodiversity

e) Effective utilization of forest resources

f) Enhancement of relevant policies on forests, forestry and technologies

g) Research and development in forestry sector

(ii) During the 3rd JWG on 23 July 2018 "Roadmap for India-Japan forest and forestry cooperation" from 2018 to 2022 was agreed upon

E: Fisheries

(1) Concurred on Sanitary Certificate Covering Fish and Fishery Products for export to India for Human Consumption in March 2018.

(2) Concurred on Certificate Covering Prawn Feed/ Shrimp Feed/ Fish Feed for export from Japan to India in October 2018.

F: Cooperation between MAFF and State Governments, and some activities by private companies

(1) Andhra Pradesh State (AP state)

(a) Between MAFF and AP state, MOC in the field of Agricultural and Food related industry was signed on 30 July 2016.

(b) Between MAFF and AP state, MOC on designing of the Master Plan was signed on 25 Feb 2018.

- Study for making the Master Plan on Cold-Chain in AP state commenced from July 2018.

(2) Maharashtra State (MH state)

(a) Between MAFF and MH state, MOC signed on 29 October 2018

(3) Uttar Pradesh State (UP state)

(a) Between MAFF and UP state, MOC was signed on 26 October 2018

G. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

(1) "Andhra Pradesh Irrigation and Livelihood Improvement Project (Phase2)" Between JICA and Ministry of Finance (MoF), LA was signed on 13 December 2017.

(2) "Project for Improvement of Himachal Pradesh Forest Ecosystems Management and Livelihoods" Between JICA and Embassy of India, LA was signed on 29 March 2018.

(3) "Project for Livelihood Improvement in Dairy Sector through Cooperatives" JICA started preparatory survey in July 2018.