WorldVeg Team’s strategic visit to India

paves the way for future growth

During a pivotal visit to India, Marco Wopereis, Director General from the HQ of the World Vegetable Center, along with Aravazhi Selvaraj, India Country Director and Ram Nair, Global Plant Breeder – Legumes from the World Vegetable Center – South and Central Asia, completed a highly productive trip, achieving key milestones that could reshape the future of vegetable farming in India. The visit was packed with high-level meetings, strategic collaborations, and meaningful discussions—all aimed at helping farmers grow more efficiently, increase yields, and bring much-needed stability to vegetable markets across India and beyond.

One of the key achievements of the trip was the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). This agreement lays the foundation for a five-year partnership between ICAR and WorldVeg, focused on improving vegetable farming practices initially through a biennial work plan. Immediately after the signing, the teams had technical discussions, setting priorities with its partner institutions; Indian Institute of Horticulture Research (IIHR) & Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR) for the next two years. These collaborative efforts are expected to roll out with a clear focus on supporting farmers through advanced agricultural techniques.

The WorldVeg team also visited the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) in New Delhi. During this courtesy visit, the team shared WorldVeg’s mission and highlighted the support they receive from Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). TECC expressed interest in exploring joint projects, particularly through the African Asian Rural Development Organization (AARDO), and a potential visit to WorldVeg’s office in Hyderabad is on the table.

Another fruitful meeting took place with GAIN (Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition), where ideas for worldwide and India-specific collaborations were exchanged. GAIN introduced their Veg4All work in Africa, including countries like Benin, Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya, which primarily focuses on increasing demand for nutritious vegetables. GAIN’s Nutrient Enriched Crops program lead, Bharat Bangari, showed particular interest in WorldVeg’s work on traditional vegetables and nutrient-enriched mungbean. This discussion led to plans for connecting GAIN’s African projects with WorldVeg’s work, creating exciting new collaboration possibilities. There’s also growing interest in Workforce Nutrition and expanding efforts into Bangladesh, especially with support from the CITI Foundation. GAIN emphasized the potential of adding traditional vegetables to existing and future “end-to-end” projects, which have largely focused on cash crops and millet.

On the research front, the WorldVeg team had an important discussion with Kapil Kapoor, the regional director of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in Asia. IDRC supports projects across 33 countries with an annual budget of $179 million, focusing heavily on climate-sensitive agriculture. Kapoor mentioned that IDRC encourages to submit research proposals, especially in multi-sectoral areas like agro-ecology and climate resilience. IDRC is keen on funding cutting-edge research and often partners with other organizations for co-funding, offering a promising opportunity for WorldVeg’s future projects.

Another critical outcome of the trip was progress with HarvestPlus, as they collaborated with WorldVeg on a concept note titled “Implementing a Food Systems Approach for Nutritional Security through Vegetables.” The note outlines a plan to map and prioritize nutrient-vegetable combinations, improve planting materials, and fast-track climate-friendly practices. 

The trip also featured important discussions with government officials in Telangana. The team met with Sri m Raghunandan Rao, IAS, Agriculture Production Commissioner (APC), where they shared details about their newly signed agreement with ICAR and ongoing projects in India. The APC expressed interest in using innovative agricultural solutions to help local vegetable farmers improve yields and stabilize market prices in the state of Telangana. Later,

during a meeting with the Hon’ble  Sri Tummala Nageswara Rao, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperation, the conversation shifted to the challenges faced by farmers around Hyderabad. The minister emphasized the need for interventions that would help local farmers produce more vegetables to supply the city’s urban population, reducing reliance on imports and stabilizing price fluctuations during the off-season. He requested WorldVeg to submit a proposal outlining specific solutions for these challenges, and confirmed a visit to WorldVeg’s facilities later in the month.

At the WorldVeg South and Central Asia (SCA) office in Hyderabad, the team held interactive sessions with staff, reviewing ongoing research projects and touring the glasshouses, field trials, and home garden demo plots. This visit served as a valuable opportunity to connect headquarters’ global strategies with the regional team’s efforts on the ground, reinforcing WorldVeg’s impact in South Asia.

In summary, the WorldVeg team’s trip to India was a whirlwind of meaningful discussions, collaborations, and actionable insights. From the landmark agreement with ICAR to the valuable exchanges with TECC, GAIN, IDRC, and government officials in Telangana, the groundwork has been laid for significant progress in vegetable farming. With new partnerships and projects in the pipeline, WorldVeg is poised to drive lasting change across South and Central Asia, improving both farmer livelihoods and consumer nutrition in the process.