India and Ghana sign five-year agricultural research MoU between ICAR and CSIR-CRI

Key facts

• India and Ghana signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding between the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi and the Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI), Accra, covering joint agricultural research, scientific exchange, capacity building and commercialisation of agricultural technologies.
• The MoU was signed in Accra in the presence of India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Ghana's Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on October 7, 2026.
• The first phase of cooperation will focus on vegetable crop research, particularly tomato research, with ICAR supporting introduction of high-yielding tomato varieties to strengthen Ghana's domestic tomato production.
• The partnership will also cover processing and value addition of cassava, yam and other tuber crops, and post-harvest management including cold storage, refrigerated transportation, sorting, grading and processing technologies.
• The MoU provides for exchange of scientists, germplasm, breeding materials and technical knowledge between the two countries.
• Arima Farms Ltd., Ghana, has been recognised as the commercial partner to CSIR-CRI for specific research and commercialisation activities under the framework.
• A Joint Working Group comprising ICAR and CSIR-CRI representatives will oversee the collaboration and meet periodically in New Delhi and Accra.