Minister Marcos da Cruz takes part in the 9th ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry
Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry Marcos da Cruz attended the 9th ASEAN–India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry in New Delhi, India, on September 9th, 2026. The meeting brought together ministers and representatives from ASEAN Member States and India to review cooperation in agriculture and forestry.
The meeting was co-chaired by India’s Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and the Philippines’ Secretary of Agriculture, Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., representing the ASEAN Chairmanship.
Participants addressed the challenges facing agricultural and food systems, including the impacts of climate change and extreme weather, supply chain disruptions, volatility in input prices, and cross-border threats to animal and plant health.
The meeting focused on strengthening ASEAN–India cooperation across food and nutrition security, sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture, research and innovation, digitalisation, capacity building, and human resources development.
Participants also reviewed the ASEAN–India Medium-Term Action Plan for Cooperation in Agriculture and Forestry 2026–2030, which sets out areas of collaboration on policy dialogue, food security, trade and investment, value chains, research and development, technology transfer, digital innovation, capacity building, and exchanges between farmers and researchers.
On the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, Minister Marcos da Cruz held a bilateral meeting with India’s Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The meeting focused on opportunities to deepen cooperation between Timor-Leste and India in agricultural research, innovation, capacity building, and exchanges of scientists and experts across the agriculture, forestry, livestock, and aquaculture sectors.
During the meeting, Minister Marcos da Cruz expressed Timor-Leste’s interest in establishing an institutional mechanism for cooperation between the two countries to support agricultural development and food security. He also proposed that India consider sending a team of technical and scientific experts to Timor-Leste to assess on-the-ground conditions and challenges and to provide recommendations in agriculture, forestry, livestock, and aquaculture.
The Indian Minister expressed willingness to share experiences and practices and to support the development of Timor-Leste’s agricultural research and innovation capabilities, including through exchanges of scientists and experts and human resources training.
The Timorese delegation also participated in activities on agricultural research and innovation, during which Indian expertise was presented on climate-resilient and biofortified crops, crop breeding, precision agriculture, natural resource management, post-harvest management, animal research, and fisheries.
As part of the visit to India, Minister Marcos da Cruz and the Timorese delegation visited the Mother Dairy facility in Delhi on September 10th, where they learned about its operating model and the processes involved in production and the dairy sector’s value chain. The delegation also met industry representatives to explore potential cooperation in this area.
The Timor-Leste delegation comprised the Ambassador of Timor-Leste to India, Carlito Nunes, together with officials and technical staff from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry.
