New Delhi, March 29 – Cooperation between India and Israel in agriculture has received a major boost following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jerusalem last month, during which the decision was announced to establish more Centres of Excellence as high-tech agricultural hubs, and to extend these initiatives to the village level to ensure that modern farming techniques reach the grassroots.
At the heart of the India-Israeli partnership are the Centres of Excellence (CoEs) – high-tech agricultural hubs co-designed by Israeli experts and Indian agricultural institutions.
While 32 of these are already operational, 18 more are under development.
During this visit to Israel, PM Modi announced their decision to increase the number to 100 to ensure enhanced productivity and income for Indian farmers.
These CoEs have adapted Israeli innovations and best practices in drip irrigation, fertigation, protected cultivation, pest management, nursery technology, and water-efficient horticulture to local Indian conditions.
They have trained thousands of Indian farmers across states from Punjab to Karnataka in new methods to improve crop quality and quantity.
While comprehensive statewide income data is still emerging, early field surveys show that farmers participating in CoE and allied programs have reported higher monthly net incomes due to better crop quality and reduced input waste, according to an article in The Diplomatist magazine.
"It is in this context that Prime Minister Modi, along with his Israeli counterpart, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, announced a new grassroots-centric initiative known as 'Villages of Excellence'. This shift – from isolated demonstration plots to community-level transformation – seeks to embed Israeli technologies directly into Indian village ecosystems. This means farmers will not only visit a CoE site, but they can also experience tailored irrigation systems, satellite-based soil monitoring, and real-time decision support right in their home districts," the article noted.
"This enduring partnership in the agriculture sector has ensured mutual benefit for both sides. Indian farmers have learned new ways of saving water, increasing yields, and boosting incomes. Israel's precision systems – from drip and micro-sprinkler irrigation to automated fertigation – can cut water use by up to 40-60 per cent compared to traditional surface irrigation, which is a vital improvement in water-stressed regions of India," the article says.
It highlights that in CoE sites, horticulture crops – tomato, capsicum, and melon – yields have risen between 20 and 40 per cent within a few seasons as growers adopt controlled environments and calibrated nutrient regimes.
Besides, the training in post-harvest handling and integrated pest management reduces losses, has improved the market value for smallholders, which has resulted in major gains in states such as Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
"Similarly, Israeli farmers and the agritech sector have also benefited as Indian demand provides Israeli technology firms – especially those specializing in Artificial Intelligence-driven crop analytics, sensors, and automated irrigation systems – with a vast field of laboratories and a commercial pathway, which makes their partnership mutually beneficial," the article added.