New Delhi, Jan 22: Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Tuesday called for time-bound implementation of the Work Plan on agriculture agreed by India and Israel in 2006.

Pawar and his Israeli counterpart Shalom Simhon held discussions to strengthen cooperation in areas ranging from research to investment in infrastructure, and cooperation at state and industry levels.

Extending India’s offer for cooperation in mutually beneficial areas, Pawar said: “Indian agriculture is changing and offers tremendous opportunities for private sector to play a constructive role in all stages of agricultural chain-infrastructure, research and development extension, diversification to high agriculture, value addition and agro processing and marketing. It requires significant investment in capital and technology.”

He, however, said that the technology needs to be customized to “the needs of the end users.”

A majority of farmers in the country are “small holders with limited resources. They are, however, very keen to adopt new technology which they can afford with there limited resources,” said Pawar.

He urged the captains of Israeli industries and representatives of association of Indian Industries to come and work together in India, which offers a huge market.

“I am confident that the economies of scale which will be realized while catering to such a huge market will make it possible to keep the prices of end products and services to be offered affordable and within the reach of small holder farmer,” he added. (ANI)