New Delhi, Aug 12 (PTI) Given the impact of COVID-19 on food security, India on Thursday pitched for closer interaction and knowledge sharing about agriculture within the eight-member Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to keep food supply chains active and protect the farmers. Addressing virtually the 6th meeting of Agriculture Ministers of the member countries of SCO, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said: "In view of the long-term impact of the COVID pandemic on food security and supply chains, maintaining the normal functioning of the food supply chain in order to ensure food and nutritional security requires close contact and cooperation between countries,"

India, along its broad growth trajectory in the agriculture sector, will continue to share best practices and capacity building of other developing countries bilaterally as well as in collaboration with international organizations to make them self-sufficient and food-secure, he said.

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The Indian agriculture sector has performed very well during the Covid period. Not only foodgrain production has increased but also exports, thereby contributing to global food security, an official statement quoted Tomar having said in the virtual meeting.

The government is pursuing a vision of empowering farmers, agricultural women and rural youth by developing new technologies and practices and taking large scale lab-to-ground initiatives, he added.

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China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are members of SCO, which is a Eurasian political, economic and security alliance.

In the meeting, India values and respects its relationship with the SCO in promoting multilateral, political, security, economic and people-to-people interactions in the region.

Tomar also reaffirmed India's commitment to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of ending poverty and hunger and achieving food security and nutrition.

The Indian delegation led by Tomar included the Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shobha Karandlaje and senior officials.

Chinese Agriculture Minister Xiozoda Suleimon Rizoi, Chinese Agri and Rural Affairs Minister Tang Renjian, SCO Secretary General Norov Vladimir Emamovic, Food and Agriculture Organisation Director General Qu Dongyu were among others who attended the meeting.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)