NEW DELHI, 3 March 2026: India and Kenya convened their first Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting on Agriculture in virtual mode, marking a significant step toward strengthening bilateral cooperation in the sector.
The meeting was co-chaired by Shri Ajeet Kumar Sahu, Joint Secretary (IC), Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, and Mr. Stephen Rono from Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.
Focus on Bilateral Agricultural Cooperation
During the discussions, both sides exchanged perspectives on current priorities, key challenges and emerging initiatives shaping their respective agricultural landscapes. The dialogue underlined the importance of enhancing cooperation in agriculture and allied sectors as part of broader India–Kenya strategic engagement.
Key areas of collaboration discussed included:
- Agricultural research partnerships
- Market access facilitation
- Farm mechanization initiatives
- Capacity building and farmer training programmes
Officials emphasised the need to create structured mechanisms for knowledge exchange, technology transfer and institutional linkages to address shared challenges such as climate variability, productivity enhancement and value chain development.
Broad Institutional Participation
The meeting was attended by senior officials from various divisions of the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, including the Crops Division, Mechanization & Technology Division, Natural Resource Management Division, Plant Protection Division and Extension Division. Representatives from the High Commission of India in Kenya and the Ministry of External Affairs also participated.
The inaugural JWG meeting lays the foundation for structured and sustained agricultural collaboration between the two countries, with potential to deepen trade linkages, research cooperation and technology-driven farming practices in the coming years.
