ICARDA News

International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas

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Website: www.icarda.org
5 June 2008
Media contact: icarda-media@cgiar.org
 
India-ICARDA Collaboration has Great Potential
Dr Mangala Rai, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), and Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), says that research collaboration between ICARDA and the Indian National Agricultural Research System can benefit many countries all over the world.
Dr Mangala Rai, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education and Director General of ICAR made a presentation on ICAR’s work during his visit to ICARDA.

"I see a vast scope of collaboration, a kind of partnership where India and ICARDA put together can help many countries, especially in the CWANA region and Africa. Indian technologies in conjunction with ICARDA can make the much needed dent to minimize the risk and optimize the benefits in agricultural production," Dr Rai said.
From left to right: Drs Mahmoud Solh, Director General; M. E. Tusneem, Chairman PARC; Abdul Majid, ICARDA Country Manager Pakistan and Maarten van Ginkel, DDG-Research.

Dr Rai, who heads one of the biggest NARS around the world, lauded ICARDA's research after visiting the field. "The lentil varieties that you have are mind boggling," he said adding that ICARDA has made remarkable progress in the field of lentils, chickpea, wheat and other food crops.

"In chickpea ICARDA has been doing a remarkable job. Although India produces almost 70 per cent of the chickpea of the whole world, we have been lacking as far as kabuli chickpea is concerned. The very basic resistant materials, which you have and which grow enormously well with very little moisture, are all cold tolerant materials. These materials are certainly important not only for India but also for the world at large,'' said Dr Rai, pointing out that it could be one of the potential areas for collaborative research.

According to Dr Rai collaborative research could be in the fields of crop improvement, natural resource management, livestock improvement and management, protected cultivation, multiple uses of water and enhancing its productivity.
Dr Kumarse Nazari (right), Cereal Pathologist, briefing Dr Rai. Dr Kenneth Street briefing Dr Mangala Rai, DG ICAR, at the GRU.

"There are many areas in which India is very advanced, like pulse crops and barley. Also we have an institute for research on sheep, an institute for research on goat, and we even have an institute working on camel. There is greater scope for collaboration in barley research too," he added.

Giving details of India's progress in increasing food production, which has been result of intensive agricultural research and extension efforts, Dr Rai said that production was steadily increasing. Last year the total production of food grains in the country was about 217 million tons and this year it has reached 227 million tons. The procurement of wheat for the public distribution system has already notched over 21 million tons so far this year as compared to the total procurement of 20.6 million tons last year.

"The food situation in India is really good, there is no food crisis in the country," Dr Rai said.

The global food crisis, he emphasized, can only be overcome by more investment in agricultural research. "We need to spend and spend enormously as far as agricultural research and development is concerned. Water is limited, land is limited, so the only way left is to increase productivity per unit area, per unit input, per unit time and per unit energy. For this it is essential to invest in agricultural R& D efforts," Dr Rai said.
 

About ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.org) is one of the 15 international research centers supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). ICARDA serves the entire developing world for the improvement of barley, lentil, and faba bean; and dry-area developing countries for the on-farm management of water, improvement of nutrition and productivity of small ruminants (sheep and goats), and rehabilitation and management of rangelands. In the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region, ICARDA is responsible for the improvement of durum and bread wheats, chickpea, pasture and forage legumes and farming systems; and for the protection and enhancement of the natural resource base of water, land, and biodiversity.

The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) (www.cgiar.org) is a strategic alliance of countries, international and regional organizations, and private foundations supporting15 international research centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote sustainable development by reducing hunger and poverty, improving human nutrition and health, and protecting the environment.

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