US keen to enhance mutual cooperation with Haryana: Diplomat

CHANDIGARH: The US is willing to enhance mutual cooperation with Haryana government in the field of agriculture, marketing, horticulture and dairy development, an American diplomat said today.

Minister Counselor for Agriculture Affairs in US embassy Allan Mustard, who called on Haryana Agriculture Minister Om Prakash Dhankhar, stated this during a meeting held here to discuss various mutual interests, an official release said.

During the meeting, Dhankhar said the cultivation of horticultural and other cash crops have become more profitable as compared to traditional crops such as wheat and paddy.

Haryana government is mooting a proposal to associate youth with agriculture and dairy so as to make them self-reliant, Dhankar said.

He said basmati and other varieties of paddy are exported at a large-scale from Haryana to countries like America. Presently, there is paddy export season and it is hoped that this meeting would prove beneficial in the interest of state farmers. Earlier also, Haryana has been cooperating America in this area, he added.

Dhankhar said that there were 36 lakh milch animals in the state and efforts would be made to double the number so that employment opportunities in dairy sector could increase manifold.

The state government would give a boost to cooperative movement on the lines of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Mustard invited the agriculture minister to visit dairy exhibition to be organised every year at California in the US.