**Summary:**
On August 26, 2025, the 5th meeting of the India-South Africa Joint Working Group (JWG) on Agriculture convened virtually, co-chaired by Shri Ajeet Kumar Sahu, Joint Secretary (IC), Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, India, and Mr. Thapsana Molepo, Acting Director, International Trade Promotion, South Africa. The meeting served as a platform to reinforce bilateral cooperation in agriculture and allied sectors. Shri Sahu presented India's agricultural achievements and highlighted government initiatives focused on digital solutions, climate-resilient practices, risk mitigation, and credit accessibility. Mr. Molepo outlined South Africa's agricultural priorities and expressed interest in enhanced collaboration with India in extension services, capacity building, and the seed sector. Discussions centered on potential collaborations between the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) of South Africa and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), encompassing knowledge exchange, joint research, capacity building, and market access. Senior officials from the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, ICAR, Department of Fisheries, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, and the Ministry of External Affairs also participated. (Release ID: 2161023)
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Agriculture Farmers Welfare: The Indian government ministry responsible for agriculture and farmers' welfare.
South Africa: A country in the southernmost part of Africa, participating in the Joint Working Group on Agriculture with India.
Joint Working Group JWG on Agriculture: A bilateral group between India and South Africa focused on collaboration in the agriculture sector.
Shri Ajeet Kumar Sahu: Joint Secretary IC, Department of Agriculture Farmers Welfare, India, and co-chair of the Joint Working Group meeting.
Thapsana Molepo: Acting Director, International Trade Promotion, South Africa, and co-chair of the Joint Working Group meeting.
Agricultural Research Council ARC of South Africa: The national agricultural research institution in South Africa.
Indian Council of Agricultural Research ICAR: An autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India
Department of Agriculture Farmers Welfare: An Indian government department involved in the Joint Working Group on Agriculture.
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
India-South Africa Joint Working Group on
Agriculture meets virtually
Both sides explore opportunities to deepen
collaboration in Agriculture Sector
India’s remarkable achievements in agriculture
sector highlighted during the meeting
Posted On: 26 AUG 2025 8:08PM by PIB Delhi
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The 5 meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on Agriculture was held between India and South Africa
today in virtual mode. The meeting was co-chaired by Shri Ajeet Kumar Sahu, Joint Secretary (IC),
Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfares, and Mr. Thapsana Molepo, Acting Director, International
Trade Promotion, South Africa. Both sides underscored the significance of the meeting as a key milestone in
deepening bilateral cooperation in the fields of agriculture and allied sectors.
Shri Ajeet Kumar Sahu provided an overview of the agriculture and allied sectors, emphasizing India’s
remarkable agricultural achievements. He highlighted a series of innovative initiatives launched by thegovernment to strengthen the agricultural sector, which includedthe use of digital solutions,
promotingclimate-resilient agricultural practices, risk mitigation, and credit initiatives of the government.
Mr. Thapsana Molepoprovided an overview of South Africa’s key priorities in the agriculture sector,
reaffirming the country’s strong commitment to enhancing its valued partnership with India. He
underscored South Africa’s keen interest in expanding cooperation in critical areas such as
extension services, capacity building, and seed sector, among others.
During the discussions, both sides explored opportunities to deepen collaboration between the
Agricultural Research Council (ARC)of South Africa and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research
(ICAR). The key areas of focus included knowledge exchange, joint research initiatives, capacity
building, and market access issues.
The meeting was also attended by senior officials from the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, the
Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the Department of Fisheries, the Department of Animal Husbandry
and Dairying, and the Ministry of External Affairs.
***
RC/KSR/AR
(Release ID: 2161023)