New Delhi, July 12. India and Afghanistan have reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation in agriculture, food processing and capacity building during the six-day visit of Afghanistan’s Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Mawlawi Ataullah Omari, to New Delhi.
Omari, accompanied by a high-level delegation, visited India from July 7 to 12. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the visit marked the fourth ministerial-level engagement between the two countries since October 2025, underlining the growing momentum in bilateral relations.
During his visit, the Afghan minister held talks with Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The discussions focused on strengthening ongoing cooperation and identifying new areas of collaboration in agriculture, irrigation, livestock development, agricultural research, education, capacity building and agricultural trade.
Food security, strengthening seed systems and improving crop productivity figured prominently in the talks. India reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Afghanistan’s agricultural sector through cooperation in developing climate-resilient and bio-fortified crop varieties, promoting sustainable irrigation techniques, water harvesting, watershed development and other mutually beneficial initiatives.
Omari also met Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Chirag Paswan, with the discussions centred on expanding cooperation in food processing through value addition, infrastructure development, technology transfer, skill development and enhancing bilateral trade in agricultural and food products.
In a separate meeting, the Afghan minister held discussions with Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles Pabitra Margherita. The two sides reviewed ongoing bilateral cooperation aimed at supporting the welfare and development of the Afghan people.
As part of the visit, the Afghan delegation interacted with several leading Indian and international agricultural and development institutions, including the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), the International Potato Centre (CIP), the International Fertiliser Development Centre (IFDC), the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI).
The visit reflects the continuing expansion of India-Afghanistan engagement, with agriculture, food security, research, technology transfer and capacity building emerging as key pillars of bilateral cooperation as New Delhi continues its development-focused outreach to the Afghan people.
