Mumbai: Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan on Thursday acknowledged Japan’s cooperation with the state in the Metro Line, Atal Setu bridge construction project, and the high-speed rail network initiative (bullet train) and expressed a desire for the Southeast country further to help the State in mushroom and mango production.
The Governor made the statement when the Consul General of Japan in Mumbai, Yagi Koji, made a courtesy call at Raj Bhavan.
The Japanese envoy stated that both countries were natural partners and their relations were at the highest level.
Governor Radhakrishnan recounted his visit to Tokyo and Osaka as the chairman of the Coir Board. He expressed his admiration for the large, tasty, and excellent-quality mushrooms grown in Japan. This admiration inspired his hope that Japan would help the farmers and women’s self-help groups in Maharashtra in mushroom cultivation, showcasing the potential of Maharashtra’s agriculture.
Additionally, the governor called for cooperation between the agricultural universities in Maharashtra and Japan to be promoted.
The governor specifically referred to Japan’s famous ‘Miyazaki’ mango, which is delicious and fetched the highest value. He added that Japan should also help the state cultivate the special variety of mango in Maharashtra, as that would benefit the farmers and tribal farmers in the State.
Notably, Japan has been working with Maharashtra on skill training and teaching the Japanese language.
The Governor assured Yagi Koji of his commitment to promoting Japanese language teaching in state universities. He pledged to organise a meeting of the vice-chancellors of the State Universities with the officials of the Japan Foundation at Raj Bhavan to ensure the future of Japanese language education in Maharashtra.
Besides, the Governor hoped that, like Germany, Japan would also consider entering into a joint venture to create and export skilled manpower from Maharashtra. Such a venture could significantly boost Maharashtra’s economy and global competitiveness.
