9th ASEAN–India Agriculture and Forestry Meeting 2026

Why in News?

The 9th ASEAN–India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry (AIMMAF) was held in New Delhi on 9 September 2026. The meeting was co-chaired by Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture of the Philippines, and Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare of India. The 9th ASEAN–India Agriculture and Forestry Meeting 2026 focused on food security, climate-resilient agriculture, digital innovation, sustainable development and resilient agricultural value chains.

ASEAN–India Cooperation in Agriculture

AIMMAF is a ministerial platform for cooperation between ASEAN and India in agriculture and forestry. The 10th ASEAN–India Agriculture Working Group Meeting was held on 8 September 2026, one day before the ministerial meeting. It brought together delegates from ASEAN Member States to discuss technical and policy cooperation. The ministers welcomed ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future and the ASEAN Food, Agriculture and Forestry Sectoral Plan 2026–2030 as strategic frameworks for sustainable and resilient development.

Medium-Term Plan of Action 2026–2030

The meeting looked forward to implementing the ASEAN–India Medium-Term Plan of Action for Cooperation in Agriculture and Forestry 2026–2030. The plan covers four broad areas:

• Policy dialogue, food security, trade and resilient value chains.
• Institutional networking, information exchange and digital innovation.
• Capacity building, technology cooperation and joint research.
• Human-resource development and farmer exchanges.

The cooperation agenda includes AI-enabled digital agriculture, low-emission rice cultivation, water productivity, soil health, bio-inputs and climate-resilient crops. It also covers circular bioeconomy solutions, sustainable forest management and resilient agricultural supply chains.

Agriculture, Technology and Food Security

ASEAN and India highlighted the need to strengthen food and agricultural systems against climate shocks, geopolitical tensions and disruptions in energy, fertiliser and agricultural-input markets. The cooperation also promotes smart farming, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and machine learning for precision agriculture. The two sides aim to connect research institutions, technology developers, extension services, private companies and farmers to accelerate technology adoption.

Bilateral Engagements

On the sidelines of the meeting, India held bilateral discussions with Malaysia, Timor-Leste and Myanmar. Discussions covered agricultural research, technology, market access, germplasm exchange and trade in agricultural commodities. India and Myanmar also discussed cooperation in areas including pulses, cotton, dairy development and agricultural education.

Significance

The meeting strengthens the ASEAN–India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership through practical cooperation in agriculture and forestry. It is particularly important for food security, climate adaptation, agricultural technology, farmer livelihoods and resilient supply chains. The meeting also agreed that the 10th ASEAN–India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry will be held in 2028.

9th ASEAN–India Agriculture and Forestry Meeting 2026: Important Facts