PM Modi says India, New Zealand free trade agreement will boost farmers' incomes, attract investment

PM Modi says India, New Zealand free trade agreement will boost farmers' incomes, attract investmentModi, who was in West Bengal, said the pact would combine New Zealand’s farming expertise with India’s development priorities. Modi was in Bengal.Published on: Apr 28, 2026 6:41 AM ISTBy Rajeev JayaswalShare viaCopy link India and New Zealand on Monday signed a free trade agreement that Prime Minister Narendra Modi said would raise farmers’ incomes, strengthen rural economies and attract billions of dollars in investment, as both countries outlined plans for agricultural partnerships, manufacturing linkages and joint exports to global markets.PM Modi said the pact would combine New Zealand’s farming expertise with India’s development priorities (PMO / ANI)The agreement, concluded in just nine months, gives duty-free access to 100% of India’s exports to New Zealand and opens the door to agricultural technology partnerships, joint ventures and lower-cost industrial inputs for Indian manufacturers.In a written message read out at the signing ceremony in New Delhi by Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal, Modi, who was in West Bengal, said the pact would combine New Zealand’s farming expertise with India’s development priorities. Modi was in Bengal.“The Agricultural Productivity Partnership and Centres of Excellence bring together New Zealand’s advanced agricultural expertise and India’s national priorities to drive transformational gains in productivity and infrastructure, while delivering meaningful benefits to our farmers and rural economies,” he said.Also Read | India-New Zealand FTA signed: $20 billion investment, 5,000 visas and duty-free access | Inside the historic dealGoyal said India had fully protected the interests of domestic farmers and the dairy sector while selectively leveraging New Zealand’s strength in efficient farming practices.Citing kiwi fruit cultivation and Manuka honey, he said Indian farmers could benefit from technology transfer, improved pollination methods and modern beekeeping systems.“I visited kiwi farms in New Zealand run by farmers from Punjab. They have mastered the technique to produce high-quality fruits in large quantities,” Goyal said.He added that honey and apiculture opportunities could particularly benefit farmers in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Punjab, Bihar and Rajasthan.New Zealand trade minister Todd McClay described the pact as one of the “highest quality” FTAs and said businesses from both countries would look to jointly manufacture and export products to world markets. “I think you will see companies from New Zealand come to find partners in India,” he said. “Products from New Zealand and India mixed together can be an opportunity to sell to other countries. That’s how modern trade agreements work.”Under the pact, New Zealand has committed $20 billion in investments across agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure, startups, innovation and emerging technologies.Modi said the investment commitment would complement the Make in India programme and strengthen India’s role in global supply chains. “This will support the startup ecosystem, entrepreneurs, innovators, women-led enterprises, MSMEs, energising job creation and redefining innovation-driven growth,” he said.Goyal said the India-New Zealand pact was India’s seventh free trade agreement in the past three-and-a-half years, with negotiations underway with the European Union and the United States. He said India now has or is pursuing trade…

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