IRRI to provide technical support to new projects for strengthening rice value chain and enhancing farmers’ income in eastern Uttar Pradesh

VARANASI, India, 08 July 2021—The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) will provide the technical support in two upcoming projects that aim to strengthen the rice value chain and enhance farmers’ income in Uttar Pradesh, according to Gopesh Tewari, head of IRRI Education.

Mr. Tewari, speaking at the Awareness Program of Farmer Producer Organizations and Exporters on 

Global G.A.P. Implementation conference organized by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), briefed the audience on the key roles, products, and services of the IRRI South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC) that are crucial to the two forthcoming initiatives funded by APEDA: Value-added products from rice-based food systems and Comprehensive grain and nutritional quality profiling of non-basmati rice.

The projects are aligned with the importance of exploring the production and export potential of various agricultural commodities including the Banarasi Langra mango, non-basmati rice, vegetables, and other crops from the Varanasi Region, which Dr. Sudhanshu, APEDA secretary, stressed in his welcome remarks.

Dr. C. B. Singh, APEDA Regional In-Charge (Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Bihar), also expressed keen interest in the said projects to be implemented by IRRI because increasing productivity and equitable access to markets are proven ways of raising farmers’ income levels and creating resilience in rice-based systems.

The conference, held at the Commissioner Conference Hall in Varanasi, hosted participants from 25 Farmer Producer Organizations and exporters from eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Executives from Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture, ICAR-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, ICAR-Indian Institute of Seed Science, Banaras Hindu University, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium, National Cooperative Development Corporation, Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India, IRRI-SARC and various non-governmental organizations also attended the conference.

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