SYLLABUS
GS-2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
Context: India and Ghana have signed a five-year MoU between the ICAR, New Delhi, and Ghana’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research–Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI), Accra, to strengthen agricultural research, education and technology transfer.
Key Areas of Cooperation
- Joint Agricultural Research: The MoU provides a framework for joint research, scientific and technological exchange, capacity building, and the application and commercialisation of agricultural technologies.
- Arima Farms Ltd., Ghana, will serve as the commercial partner to CSIR-CRI for specific research and commercialisation activities.
- Tomato Research and Development: The first phase will focus on vegetable crop research, particularly tomatoes.
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) will support the scaling up of proven agricultural technologies and the introduction of suitable high-yielding tomato lines and varieties to strengthen domestic tomato production in Ghana.
- Processing and Value Addition: Cooperation will cover the processing and value addition of cassava, yam and other tuber crops to strengthen agricultural value chains.
- Post-Harvest Management: The partnership will promote technical support and capacity building in cold storage, refrigerated transportation, sorting, grading and processing technologies to address post-harvest losses.
- Scientific and Institutional Exchange: The MoU provides for the exchange of scientists, technologists, germplasm, breeding materials, scientific information, methodologies and technical knowledge.
- Collaborative research projects and institutional linkages between research institutes of both countries will facilitate sustained scientific cooperation.
- Implementation Mechanism: A Joint Working Group comprising representatives of ICAR and CSIR-CRI will review progress and guide implementation.
- The group will meet periodically in New Delhi and Accra.
Significance of the Cooperation
- Agricultural Productivity: Supports the adoption of high-yielding tomato varieties and proven agricultural technologies in Ghana.
- Reduced Post-Harvest Losses: Promotes improved storage, transportation and processing facilities.
- Agricultural Value Chains: Encourages processing and value addition of tuber crops.
- Technology Transfer: Strengthens scientific collaboration, capacity building and commercial application of agricultural research.
- Sustainable Development: Supports agricultural development and improved livelihoods in Ghana.
- South–South Cooperation: Advances India’s engagement with Ghana and its broader India–Africa collaboration.
