Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The third BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture concluded in Kathmandu on Wednesday.
The meeting, chaired by Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Ramnath Adhikari, saw physical participation from the agriculture ministers of India and Bhutan, while their counterparts from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka joined virtually. Thailand was represented by its Deputy Permanent Secretary.
Discussions centered on fostering regional collaboration in agriculture, livestock, and fisheries, while addressing key challenges facing these sectors in the BIMSTEC region, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.
Building on the groundwork laid by the Senior Officials’ Meeting, chaired by Agriculture Secretary Dr Govind Prasad Sharma on April 8, the ministerial gathering reviewed the implementation progress of the BIMSTEC Agricultural Cooperation Action Plan (2023-2027) and assessed ongoing programs across member states.
Key agreements reached during the meeting included the establishment of a regional food reserve and a regional seed bank. The member countries also expressed commitments to promote agricultural trade and capacity-building initiatives within the sector.
India presented a proposal to establish a BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence and Digital Public Infrastructure for Agriculture to drive innovation in the sector. The meeting also approved a new action plan for cooperation in livestock and fisheries.
Further discussions explored potential activities under the agricultural development framework, including plans for a Mountain Agriculture Technology Workshop in Nepal in June 2025 and the establishment of a Climate-Smart Agriculture Centre in Sri Lanka.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Nepal and India signed a ministerial-level Memorandum of Understanding to enhance collaboration in agricultural research, technology development, crop production, market access, trade, crop protection, irrigation and organic farming. The agreement was formalized by Minister Adhikari and India’s Minister for Agriculture, Farmers’ Welfare, and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, following bilateral talks on mutual interests.
Similarly, Nepal and Bhutan held bilateral discussions to advance cooperation in organic farming research, technology development, climate-friendly agricultural systems, genetic resource exchange, and trade in agriculture and livestock.
Addressing the gathering, Minister Adhikari said the commitments outlined in the joint statement would translate into practical initiatives to boost productivity, resilience and sustainability in BIMSTEC agricultural systems.
