UAE: India identifies key agricultural sector issues, rice exports in meeting with UAE ministers

India marked friday as United Arab Emirates At a meeting here, some of the issues facing the country’s agricultural sector, including those facing rice exporters. S Vikramjit Singh, MP, ChairMembers of the India-Arab Council and the India-UAE Joint Working Group met with Dr. Sani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for External Trade, and discussed various areas of bilateral cooperation.

Trade with the UAE will take on a new dimension, Singh said, with two major bilateral agreements already in place. He also pointed to India’s problems with exporting agricultural products to the Gulf countries.

“The two sides have had significant discussions on trade issues between India and the UAE. Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and Free trade agreement (Free trade agreement),” Singh said in a statement.

Singh, member of the joint India-UAE working group, pointed to the key issue facing the agricultural sector, which is the refusal to export rice from India due to the presence of pesticide residues.

“He highlighted accredited laboratories with mutually accepted standards and fast track approvals Pharmaceutical Products from India,” the statement said.

Singh also asked the minister to lower the minimum threshold for investment, namely 100% ownership in health and other sectors, which is currently Dh100 million.

Singh asked the minister to conclude a UAE-India BIT as soon as possible to simplify the work of the India-UAE joint venture, the statement said.

“The UAE Minister of State for External Trade expressed satisfaction with the in-depth engagement with India on trade and investment, and assured UAE investment in India,” it said.

Singh also highlighted bilateral trade and key areas between Punjab and the UAE. Singh, on behalf of the Chief Minister of Punjab, also discussed investments in the infrastructure sector, Basmati UAE’s export and agro-processing sector in Punjab.