On September 8–9, 2026, the 10th ASEAN–India Working Group on Agriculture and Forestry (AIWGAF) and the 9th ASEAN–India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry (AIMMAF) were convened in New Delhi, India. The meetings were co-chaired by Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, India, and Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, the Philippines. Ministers and high-level officials from ASEAN Member States (including Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and others), Timor-Leste, and the ASEAN Secretariat attended the sessions.
As an international scientific and regulatory compliance consultancy specializing in consumer goods, BYSEE-SRA continuously monitors regulatory shifts in key global and regional trade markets. Given that ASEAN and India represent vital trading regions for agro-food products and ingredients, BYSEE-SRA has officially integrated the multilateral regulatory dynamics and cooperation frameworks established at these meetings into its cross-border regulatory tracking system. This ensure that global businesses receive up-to-date compliance data support for market access.
According to the primary official communiqués from the Government of India and the ASEAN Secretariat, the meetings achieved the following objective outcomes:
- The meetings officially approved and adopted the ASEAN–India Medium-Term Plan of Action for Cooperation in Agriculture and Forestry 2026–2030, alongside issuing the Joint Press Statement of the 9th AIMMAF.
- Both parties specified exact technical cooperation avenues, encompassing climate-resilient agriculture, low-emission rice cultivation, capacity building in precision agriculture utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and Machine Learning, alongside soil health management, water productivity, post-harvest loss reduction, and food safety.
- The framework confirmed the continuation of providing 50 annual "ASEAN-India Fellowships" at Indian Agricultural Universities through the AIWGAF framework.
- An "AIMMAF–India Business Leaders Session" was organized on September 9, involving approximately 25 representatives from 21 Indian agribusinesses who engaged directly with ASEAN delegations regarding investments, value chains, market access, and joint ventures.
- Delegations jointly unveiled the "India–ASEAN Friendship Spike for Agriculture and Forestry."
Reference
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2308490®=48&lang=2
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=2308621&lang=1®=3
https://timor-leste.gov.tl/?p=51640&lang=en&n=1