06^th May 2022, India: Indian Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA), the nodal body for India’s pulses trade and industry, on Wednesday, 27^th April 2022, held productive talks with Mr. Santiago Cafiero, the Argentine Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and Mr. Hugo Gobbi, the Argentine Ambassador.

The meeting, which was led by Mr. Bimal Kothari, the newly appointed Chairman of IPGA, was attended by other delegatory authorities including Mr. Sunil Sawla, the Hon. Treasurer of IPGA; Mr. Satish Upadhyay, Core Committee Member, IPGA; Mrs. Sonia Kulkarni, CEO, IPGA, and Mr. Pranav Marne, Deputy CEO, IPGA. The focus of the meeting was chiefly inclined towards promoting relations between India and Argentina and providing an impetus to ongoing trade, whilst also opening up potential avenues between the two countries. Mr. Kothari, Chairman, IPGA put forth the potential, that the two countries have to further foster the volume of trade in the Agri-products space and pulses, especially lentils.

Mr. Santiago Cafiero, the Argentine Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and Mr. Hugo Gobbi, the Argentine Ambassador were keen to have a delegation from IPGA visit the provinces of Salta and Cordoba in July this year and welcome their insights on the overall agriculture system and explore trade opportunities between the two countries.

Mr. Kothari, Chairman, IPGA extended an invitation to a large number of delegates from Argentina to attend the eagerly awaited sixth edition of ‘The Pulses Conclave 2022’ to be hosted by IPGA in September at Mumbai.

All the ideas and concerns put forward by IPGA, as well as its Argentine counterpart, received unanimous support from members and guests present for the meeting, stressing the importance of improving access to markets, achieving a sustainable food future, fostering new opportunities for value-addition, and creating jobs in particularly semi-urban and rural areas.

“We recently held and concluded a productive meeting with Mr. Santiago Cafiero and Mr. Hugo Gobbi while on their visit to India. We not only appreciate their presence but also the insights and perspectives that were shared on the Indian-Argentina trade. Both parties discussed avenues to further strengthen the healthy ongoing trade in the agricultural sector and explore the high potential for growth in trade and investments. Members present at the meeting reaffirmed their commitment to enable smoother bilateral trade and investment flows via enhanced and continued agreement. This proves that, through dialogue and the quest for common ground, we can create a new framework that fulfills the end goal set by involved parties.”