In December 1993 India and Israel signed a bilateral agreement for cooperation in the area of agriculture. Under the agreement the first Joint Committee was set up 2006 and an inter-Governmental "Work Plan" outlining cooperative activities was signed the same year. The Work Plan was followed by an Action Plan 2008-2010 under which projects have been undertaken with help of experts from Israel in Haryana, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat. As part of the Action Plan, a Center of Excellence for fruits at Sirsa, Haryana will be inaugurated in 2012. A Center of Excellence for vegetables is functional at
Karnal. A Joint Declaration was signed in May 2011 by Agriculture Ministers of the two countries. A bilateral Action Plan for the period 2012- 2015 has been finalized for projects in Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Punjab.
In Maharashtra, Israel proposes to set up Centers of Excellence for Mango, Citrus and for Pomegranate respectively. India has benefited from Israeli
expertise and technologies in horticulture mechanization, protected cultivation, orchard and canopy management, nursery management, micro-irrigation and post-harvest management particularly in Haryana and Maharashtra. India-Israel Action Plan for second phase has been finalized for implementation from April 2012 to 2015 in the States of Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Punjab.
Located in one of the world's most arid regions, Israel has developed novel and efficient water technologies for waste water management, recycling of
waste water, desalination, water security, and water conservation. Local water know-how and technology is exported to more than 100 countries. With a 75% water recycling rate, Israel is the world's number one waste water recycler and home to the world's largest Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant, annually producing 100 million m3 of water at the low cost of about US$0.52 per m3 of water. India's companies and official delegations regularly visit the annual event WATEC in Israel which showcases Israel's water and energy technologies.
Some Israeli companies and experts are providing their expertise to manage and improve dairy farming in India given their expertise in high milk production of milch animals in hot climatic conditions and genetic engineering. Jain Irrigation Company purchased 50% stake in Israel's Naan-Dan
Irrigation in 2007 and became the world's second largest irrigation company. Israel-based Netafim is the second biggest player in India in micro-irrigation and sprinklers, with a 15% market share.
Indian official and business delegations regularly attend Israel's triennial event Agritech which showcases Israel's achievements in agriculture. The 18th
International agricultural Exhibition (Agritech 2012) will be held on May 15-17, 2012 in Tel Aviv.
