Indo-US MoU on Agriculture and Food Security

Indo-US MoU on Agriculture and Food Security-: The Government of India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Strategic Cooperation with Government of USA on Agriculture and Food Security on 16th March, 2010. As a sequel to the signing of the MoU, three Working Groups namely, - (i) Working Group-I:- Strategic Cooperation for Food Security; (ii) Working Group-II:- Food Processing, Farm to Market Linkages and Agricultural Extension; (iii) Working Group-III:- Crop and Weather and Climate Forecasting were constituted. Follow up action has commenced. Total programme expenditure reported till September 2011 is US $1.719 million. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) received from USA in agriculture services sector during the last three years (April 2008 to September 2011) is Rs.57.42 crore. FDI in core agriculture sector is not permitted. This information was given by Shri Harish Rawat, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries in written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.