A memorandum of understanding was signed here on Monday between the German Agribusiness Alliance and the Agriculture Skill Council of India for the purpose of jointly establishing ‘Indo-German Centres of Excellence in Agriculture’.

The MoU was signed by Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh and his German counterpart Christian Schmidt. The centres will aim to create a platform for practical agri-skill development in India.

The prime objective of this collaboration would be to provide practical professional skill training as well as practical demonstrations of modern technologies and methods (capacity building) to various stakeholders of the agriculture development ecosystem,” said Joerg Rehbeim, spokesman, GAA.

Rehbeim added that the GAA hoped to raise awareness on emerging areas of agri-technologies and their application through the initiative and adopt best development practices from both countries for efficient cultivation methods.

“The proposed Centres of Excellence shall provide both and short and long term practical, professional skill training on modern technologies and methods…the activities would target to reach farmers as well as farm workers and wage workers in agriculture-related industries,” said Sanjeev Asthana, Chairman, ASCI.

The GAA unites leading associations and companies in the German agriculture and food sector focusing in particular on agricultural machinery and equipment, animal husbandry, plant breeding and plant protection as well as agricultural trade.

The ASCI was set up in January 2013 under the aegis of the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and works towards bridging the gap between laboratories and farms and upgrading skills of the agri-sector workforce.

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