Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) has been signed between the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). A five-year plan for Indian agricultural research was finalized.
The objective of this plan is to focus on technologies especially suited to harsh conditions of the drylands, covering grain legumes and dryland cereals including, groundnut, chickpea, pigeonpea, finger and pearl millet and sorghum.
Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General ICAR, and Peter Carberry, Director General of ICRISAT has signed the MoA representing action plans for 2019 to 2023 in New Delhi.
The DGs of both the organizations have also highlighted the long-standing partnerships between ICRISAT and ICAR and emphasized on collaborations to evolve, lead and innovate in agricultural technologies.
Trilochan Mohapatra said, “I value the ICAR-ICRISAT partnership greatly in the interest of farming communities of India, this would help adapt to the changing agriculture landscape in India as well as contribute towards the country priority of doubling farmers’ income.”
However, Carberry said, “Our science teams in ICRISAT have worked hard to develop these plans with support from ICAR partners. These collaborations are critical to deliver on our mission to improve livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers across Asia and African drylands”.
