Welcoming the delegation, Mr Singh said, both the countries need to explore possibilities in entering into a bilateral institutional agreement.

Mr Singh expressed India’s desire to cooperate and learn from the experience of New Zealand in the areas of livestock, processing, cold chain management, animal breeding and germ plasm exchange of apple, cherry etc., as well as kiwi cultivation and its post-harvest management and protected cultivation of high value crops.

India would also be interested in scientific exchanges in the fields of pasture management for sheep management, management of mutton type sheep and exchange of programmes of experts from Government sheep farms, Mr Singh stressed.

Stressing the need for increase in India’s exports to New Zealand, Mr Singh said that there is a great possibility of New Zealand importing a large number of agricultural commodities such as garlic, grapes, wheat, groundnut, sugar etc. so that bilateral trade between the two countries may be pushed up further.

Nathan Guy said that New Zealand is already sharing its expertise in the field of IT, hospitality and tourism with India and also assured that New Zealand will do its level best towards establishing a free trade agreement.

Mr Singh requested New Zealand to extend its cooperation in setting up of an Indian Company named Indian Immunological Limited, which will work in the field of controlling disease in animals through vaccination.