New Delhi,  Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar participated in an extraordinary virtual meeting of G-20 Agriculture Ministers on Tuesday to address the issue of COVID-19 impacts on food security, safety and nutrition.

Sharing the measures taken to contain the spread of Coronavirus in India, Tomar informed his counterparts that India has decided to exempt all agriculture operations during lockdown period and ensuring continued availability of essential agriculture produce and supply, while adhering to protocol of social distancing, health and hygiene.

He said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been at the forefront of supporting countries to tide over this crisis in various ways and that agriculture will not lag behind.

The G-20 Agriculture Ministers virtual meeting was organized through video conferencing by the Saudi Presidency to deliberate on the ways and means of ensuring continuity of the food supply value chain including livelihood of farmers.

Agriculture Ministers of all G-20 members and the representatives of some guest countries and International organizations attended the meeting.

The G-20 nations resolved to have international cooperation in the backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic, to avoid food wastage and losses, and maintain the continuity of food supply value chain across borders.

They also resolved to work together for food security and nutrition, share best practices and lessons learnt, promote research, responsible investments, innovations and reforms that will improve the sustainability and resilience of agriculture and food systems.

The G-20 nations also agreed to develop science based international guidelines on stricter safety and hygienic measures.