📰 In News – 3rd BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture (BAMM)

📍 Event Details

• Date & Venue: 9 April 2025, Kathmandu, Nepal
• Host: Nepal
• Chair (India): Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development
• Participants: Agriculture Ministers & senior officials of BIMSTEC (India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka).

🔹 Background

• 1st BAMM: Myanmar – 12 July 2019
• 2nd BAMM: India – 10 November 2022
• 3rd BAMM: Nepal – 9 April 2025
• Agriculture & Food Security → one of 14 priority sectors of BIMSTEC.
• Highest decision-making body for BIMSTEC agriculture cooperation.

🔹 Major Highlights of 3rd BAMM

1. MoU Signed:
   • India–Nepal MoU on Agriculture Cooperation (signed by Shivraj Singh Chouhan & Ramnath Adhikari, Agriculture Minister of Nepal).
2. Bilateral Talks:
   • Meeting with PM K.P. Sharma Oli (Nepal).
   • Bilateral with Bhutan’s Agriculture Minister Younten Phuntsho.
   • Discussion with Indramani Pandey, BIMSTEC Secretary General.
3. India’s Key Proposals & Announcements:
   • BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence for Agriculture Cooperation (India)→ focus on:
     • Precision Agriculture
     • Climate Risk Mitigation
     • Natural Farming & Organic Farming
     • Gender Equality
     • Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture
   • Capacity Building: Fully funded BIMSTEC Scholarships for M.Sc. & Ph.D. in Agriculture (India).
   • Digital Empowerment of Farmers:
     • Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)
     • Institutional Credit
     • Soil Health Card
     • Crop Insurance
     • National Food Security Mission
     • Namo Drone Didi Scheme → drones for women farmers
   • Workshops & Training (2023–27 Plan): Seed Development, Animal Health, Pest Management.
4. Regional Cooperation Agenda:
   • Strengthening Fisheries & Livestock sector.
   • Food Security & Nutrition.
   • Climate Adaptation & Sustainable Agriculture.
     
     Updated -  08 APR 2025 5:30PM | PIB