‘Agri sector could be a game-changer for India, Bangladesh’

Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said India and Bangladesh should build greater cooperation in the agricultural sector as it could be a game-changer for both the countries.

"This is an area where we both should work with greater synergies and collaboration. Agriculture can have game-changing potential between our two countries...Agriculture sector has huge socio-economic dimensions, Goyal said on Tuesday at the India-Bangladesh Digital Conference on Agriculture Sector organised by CII, reports Economic Times.

He has also assured Bangladesh of complete cooperation in ensuring barrier-free trade between the countries, pointing that the country has already offered duty-free market access to Bangladesh in many products, including agri-exports.

In view of the recent developments, he further said that non-tariff barriers will play a crucial role in determining how Bangladesh utilises the abundant opportunities India has to offer.

In response to Bangladesh Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi asking India to inform Bangladesh before suddenly imposing export restrictions on goods, Goyal said that India is looking at a long-term framework to address the problem of export restrictions on onions and potato through creation of adequate buffer stocks and increasing the area of cultivation to ensure continuous supplies.