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.