The MoU will ensure better food security for Maharashtra and give farmers access to cutting-edge data from anywhere in the state
The United States Government through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Foreign Agricultural Service and the Maharashtra Department of Agriculture signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will ensure better food security for Maharashtra and give Maharashtra’s farmers access to cutting-edge data from anywhere in the state.
US Consul General David J Ranz, and Government of Maharashtra (GoM) Agriculture Secretary Eknath Davle publicly signed a joint statement at the Mantralaya expressing their support for the MoU. The joint statement was signed in the presence of GoM Agriculture Minister Dadaji Dagdu Bhuse.
The MoU will provide a framework for technical cooperation between the USDA and Maharashtra’s Department of Agriculture in the development of robust agricultural market information systems, along with potential collaboration in other areas. Through this MoU, USDA will aid Maharashtra’s efforts to support farmers by enhancing agricultural value chains, facilitating agribusiness investment, and developing resilient agricultural production systems through its Balashaeb Thackeray Agribusiness and Rural Transformation (SMART) Project, supported by the World Bank.
Ranz said, “This MoU represents the most ambitious bilateral capacity-building effort between the USDA and an Indian government entity to date. Maharashtra is an agricultural powerhouse, as is the US, and we play an important role in ensuring global food security, as well as meeting the growing demand for fibre and fuel. This MoU demonstrates our commitment to enhancing farmer welfare and making our agricultural production systems more efficient and sustainable through the sharing of best practices and skills.”
Bhuse said, “The campaign ‘Vikel te Pikel’- ‘Produce that can be sold’ is being implemented in the state for an assured market for farmer’s produce. As part of that, SMART Project is implemented in the state with the help of the World Bank. The $300-million SMART project is to support the development of inclusive and competitive agri-business value chains with a focus on smallholder farmers. As a part of SMART project, Department of Agriculture with the help of USDA will increase the capacity of state machinery in the field of agriculture statistics, agricultural marketing, market intelligence, organising commodity stewardship council etc.”
Other dignitaries present were Dheeraj Kumar, Commissioner Agriculture, Lazaro Sandoval, FAS Attaché, Sushil Khodwekar, Dy Secretary (Agriculture), GoM, Dasharath Tambhale, Additional Project Director, SMART, Shrikant Andge, Under Secretary, (Agriculture), GoM and other officials from the US Consulate General and Department of Agriculture, GoM.
