ICARDA Presents Achievements in India’s Grand Agricultural Exhibition
ICARDA’s Food Legume Research Platform (FLRP) in Madhya Pradesh, India and a number of leading research and governmental organizations were selected by the State Agriculture Department, Govt of Madhya Pradesh to exhibit their research activities in a special event celebrating India’s 75th Independence day by displaying the achievements of the agricultural research for development sector in the country. The event was part of a country-wide campaign by the Indian government to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of independence and all that is progressive about India’s socio-cultural, political and economic identity.
ICARDA’s FLRP Team prepared and exhibited their R4D work and technologies on seed variability, elite lines/germplasms for potential legume/cereal crops for the state including Lentil, Chickpea, Grass pea, Durum wheat, Barley, and spineless cactus (as fodder crop in low rainfall dry/degraded lands in the state).
Dr. Reena Mehra, FLRP Associate Scientist (Lentil) and Dr Tapan Kumar, FLRP Associate Scientist (Chickpea) greet the Union Agriculture Minister of India, Mr. N. S. Tomar
The event was graced by Mr. Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Cabinet Minister, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Govt. of India as the Chief Guest. Mr Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, and Mr Kamal Patel, State Minister of Farmers Welfare & Agriculture Development attended the event with sixty top government officials including Additional Production Commissioner, Additional Chief Secretary-cum-Principal Secretary and Director of Agriculture.
The FLRP team presented the dignitaries with the research and development activities carried out at FLRP, and the research partnerships with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), State Agricultural Universities, and State Governments. in the fields of genetic enhancement of various legume and field crops, water productivity, cropping systems research, and adaptation of spineless cactus. FLRP also discussed its contribution to varietal development of crops, conservation of exotic genetic materials, and innovations in profitable cropping patterns. Events in FLRP on technology dissemination, organizing farmers’ visits, and field days were also highlighted. Preparation of various display materials in the event was supported by ICARDA’s Odisha project team and New Delhi office.
The Director of Agriculture, the ACS-cum-Principal Secretary of Agriculture, and other department officers appraised the Union Agriculture Minister, the State Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister and other dignitaries of ICARDA’s achievements in the state. They expressed their willingness to support and further strengthen the collaboration with ICARDA for the benefit of farmers in Madhya Pradesh, and in India and South Asia.
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ICARDA gratefully acknowledges the support from the Govt. of Madhya Pradesh, Government of India and other states in pursuing the research for development works in FLRP.
By: ICARDA-FLRP Team, Dr. Reena Mehra, Dr. Tapan Kumar, Mr. Arun Kumar. Under the Guidance of Dr. Ashutosh Sarker and Dr. N. Swain