India, US to train African, Asian nations in farm techniques

India, in collaboration with the US, will provide specialised agricultural training jointly to seventeen countries in Africa and Asia to help reduce malnutrition rates and improve food and nutritional security.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Agriculture Ministry in India launched the second phase of the ‘feed the future India triangular training program’ on Monday that will provide specialised agriculture training to 1,500 professionals across Africa and Asia.

The participating countries include Afghanistan, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Mongolia, Vietnam, Kenya, Malawi, Liberia, Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Tanzania, Sudan and Botswana.

The first phase of the programme, funded by USAID and jointly implemented by India’s National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management, provided training in three countries — Kenya, Liberia and Malawi.

“The impact assessments carried out for the first phase of the programme generated positive feed-back. The US is, thus, expanding it to seventeen more countries. Our participation in the programme displays our soft power,” said Agriculture Secretary Shobhana K Pattanayak addressing the media on the sidelines of the launch.

Pattanayak said that India had moved from being a food-deficit country in the 1960s to a food surplus economy and many African countries and some developing countries of Asia looked at it or inspiration and transfer of technology.

“By harnessing the expertise and innovation of our two great countries, we are unlocking new opportunities to address global development challenges, bringing us closer to our shared objective of eliminating global poverty and hunger,” said the US Ambassador to India Richard Verma at the launch.

The program will train agricultural professionals in Africa and Asia on specialised farming practices such as agricultural marketing, dairy management, he added.

Specific subject areas to be covered under the programme will be identified and appropriate course content will be developed following capacity gap and skilled HR demand analysis of stakeholders involved in the planning and implementation of national food security, according to the Agriculture Ministry.

These may include private agro-businesses, public service providers and policy makers, for profit and not for profit non-governmental organisations, professional associations, and farmers groups. 

Source : Business Line