Chennai-16.06.2023-Under India’s G20 Presidency, the Ministerial Meeting of the Agriculture Working Group (AWG) is being convened from June 15 – 17 in Hyderabad. The Minister of State for Agriculture and Family Welfare, Kailash Choudhary inaugurated an Agri-based exhibition set up at the Hyderabad International Convention Center (HICC) at Novotel, Hyderabad. Along with this, Agriculture ministers of various countries and Directors General of international organizations were also present at the meeting. The three-day meeting witnessed participation from over 200 delegates from G20 member states, invited countries, and 10 international organizations.
The first day of the meeting focused on key priorities such as food security, millets, climate-smart agriculture, digital transformation, and the preparation of an outcome document at the third agriculture delegation meeting. Along with this, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Secretary, Manoj Ahuja and agricultural representatives of G20 member countries discussed major topics like earth and management of Agribusiness for profit and the use of digital technology powers in agriculture.
During the inauguration of the Agri-based exhibition which showcased India’s achievements in agriculture and allied sectors, Minister of State for Agriculture and Family Welfare, Kailash Chowdhary said that “The emerging modern technologies will help the farmers immensely. He added, “Advanced technologies like drones would help farmers in getting more yield.” He emphasized the need to create awareness about the new technologies among the people. Further, Agriculture Representatives Meeting (ADM) was held after the inauguration. The first day of the meeting was filled with insightful discussions with the G20 delegates.
Addressing a press conference after the end of the first session, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said, “India is playing a leading role in the field of agriculture.” He said, “Today India is the second largest food-producing country in the world.” Tomar added that “in the field of agriculture, India is working ahead for other countries as well. India today is working and teaching with the world in the field of agriculture.” The Agriculture Minister said, “We all know that climate change is a challenge for all. Therefore, how to deal with it and how to make a common strategy, there will be a discussion with all the important representatives in this meeting.”
On the second day of the meeting, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar will warmly welcome the ministers and delegation heads participating in the G20 meeting. The agenda for the second day includes discussions on “Sustainable Agriculture for Food Security and Nutrition” and high-level ministerial discussions on women-led agriculture, sustainable biodiversity, and climate solutions. These parallel sessions aim to foster dialogue and collaboration on critical issues affecting global agriculture.
On the last day of the Agriculture Working Group meeting, the delegation will be on a technical visit to the ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR) in Hyderabad. The visit will provide an opportunity for the delegates to witness state-of-the-art research and innovation in millet cultivation and processing.
The first meeting of the G-20 Agriculture Working Group was held in Indore. While the second meeting of agricultural representatives of the Agriculture Working Group was held in Chandigarh.
