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The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries, Mr Senzeni Zokwana has arrived in Nanjing, China, to participate in the 7th meeting of the BRICS Ministers of Agriculture and Agrarian Development, 16 June 2017.

The 6th Meeting of BRICS meeting of ministers took place in New Dehli, India on the 23rd September 2016, where Ministers adopted the Joint Declaration of the 6th BRICS Ministers of Agriculture and Agrarian Development. The Ministers agreed in principle that the BRICS Agriculture Research Platform should be signed and become operational.

The MoU on the establishment of the BRICS Agriculture Research Platform was signed during the Presidential Summit held in Goa, India on 6th October 2016. Another pivotal point raised related to the operational aspect of the Research Platform where each Agriculture Minister from the BRICS member states need to facilitate and expedite the process of identifying domestic institutions that will serve as a focal point. South Africa has nominated the Agriculture Research Council (ARC) to serve as the country’s focal point in the BRICS platform.

The 7th Ministerial meeting will be preceded by The 7th Meeting of the BRICS Agricultural Cooperation Working Group (ACWG) scheduled to take place in Nanjing, China on 15 June 2017. The respective delegations will be led by senior officials from the respective BRICS countries and will discuss the following:

• Exchange the Implementation of the Action Plan 2012-2016 for Agricultural Cooperation of BRICS Countries;The Action Plan 2017-2021 for Agricultural Cooperation of BRICS Countries;
• The Joint Declaration of the 7th Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Agriculture and the BRICS Agricultural Development Report 2017;
• and The schedule of the 7th Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Agriculture.

On 16 June 2017 the Ministers will sign the Joint Declaration of the 7th meeting of BRICS Ministers of Agriculture and Agrarian Development.

Minister Zokwana will hold bilateral meetings with all BRIC members to discuss areas of cooperation in agriculture.

Issued by Department of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries