On Wednesday, a nine-member delegation from New Zealand visited Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in Gandhinagar. They expressed a keen interest in strengthening collaboration in agriculture, the dairy industry, renewable energy, and tourism-cultural exchanges with Gujarat. The delegation was headed by Todd McClay, New Zealand’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Commerce, and Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs, along with New Zealand’s High Commissioner to India, Patrick Rata.
During the meeting with the Gujarat Chief Minister, the New Zealand Minister expressed a strong desire to establish enduring and friendly cultural ties with Gujarat, focusing on agriculture, the dairy industry, renewable energy, tourism, and fostering connections between the people of both countries.
The chief minister welcomed the delegation, noting that India-New Zealand relations have progressed under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He expressed optimism that Gujarat would further strengthen these bilateral ties, as stated in an official release. Patel shared his vision of doubling farmers’ income through cow-based farming in Gujarat, and both Patel and New Zealand Minister McClay highlighted the potential benefits of launching a ‘Farmer Exchange Programme’ to enhance cooperation in agriculture and dairy sectors.
New Zealand is a leader in dairy technology, and the chief minister discussed opportunities for collaboration in agriculture, the dairy industry, animal husbandry, and cooperative sectors to help Gujarat benefit from this advanced technology. Additionally, the delegation expressed interest in organising regular meetings and workshops to support and develop innovative ideas for women in rural areas, according to the release.
The chief minister added that Gujarat is a major producer of milk and also excels in renewable energy, green hydrogen, and electric vehicle production. He expressed a strong interest in collaborating with New Zealand across all these sectors.
In addition, the chief minister spoke about the industrious Gujarati community residing in New Zealand and emphasised the need to establish a framework for regular meetings to strengthen cultural ties between the two countries.
He also highlighted Gujarat’s tourist attractions and encouraged visitors from New Zealand to explore sites such as the world-renowned Statue of Unity, the White Desert of Kutch (Ranotsav), and the Gir Jungle.
New Zealand Minister McClay expressed enthusiasm about sending a delegation to Gujarat to enhance mutual relations in the dairy and cooperative sectors. He discussed potential collaboration with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and shared insights on how value-added efforts in animal health facilities could boost milk production. McClay made note of promising opportunities for cooperation with Gujarat in areas such as waste management and bioenergy.
He also proposed the idea of launching a veterinary exchange program to benefit the farming communities in both Gujarat and New Zealand. During this courtesy meeting with the chief minister, Additional Chief Secretary M.K. Das, Principal Secretary Industries Mamata Verma, Commissioner of Industries Sandeep Sagale, and MD of Index-B Gaurang Makwana were also present.