New Delhi: Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh and his Netherlands counterpart Sharon Dijksma on Thursday expressed satisfaction over the pace of cooperation in agriculture and allied sectors between the two countries.


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They also confirmed their readiness for greater collaboration and trade between the two countries by meeting each other`s phyto sanitary standards to enhance market access in respect of identified fruits and vegetables and in developing centre of excellence in identified Indian States.


It was agreed that India would try to expedite market access for export of apples and pears from Netherlands by expediting phyto sanitary clearances by September 2015.Netherlands, on the other hand, would try to help in lifting the European Union (EU) ban on certain Indian vegetables and with market access to the EU, generally.


During the meeting, a letter of extension of the Indo-Dutch Joint Agriculture Working Group action plan for cooperation in agriculture by three years, with effect from April 1, was also signed by representatives from both the countries.


The action plan covers cooperation in the field of horticulture, research, food processing, plant varieties protection, animal husbandry and dairying.