Bihar Agriculture Minister Inaugurates Training Program at ISARC, Varanasi

The International Rice Research Institute South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC) hosted a three-day capacity-building training and exposure visit program in Varanasi on Wednesday. The event was inaugurated by the Agricultural Minister of Bihar, Amarendra Pratap Singh.

The event was attended by Dr. Arun Kumar, vice-chancellor of BAU in Sabour, Bihar, Dr. Singh, vice-president of the National Academy of Agricultural Science (NAAS), New Delhi, and Dr. Sudhanshu Singh, director of ISARC in Varanasi.

This training program is being undertaken in collaboration with the BAU under its Climate-Resilient Agriculture (CRA)Programme funded by the government of Bihar.

"The government has been working for all-around agricultural development through various plans, programs, and partnerships, which are having an influence on the agriculture sector and increasing the income of farmers in Bihar," the minister added.

He praised the joint efforts of the Union government and IRRI in creating the cutting-edge research facilities at ISARC as well as Varanasi's efforts to serve the needs of farmers throughout South Asia in general, eastern India in particular, and particularly Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh.

He urged for the development of short-duration rice varieties that are resistant to both drought and flooding, are suitable for stress-prone regions as well as the specific soil and agro-climatic characteristics of the region, and also improve the nutrition of the wider population. Dr. Arun Kumar, vice chancellor of BAU, highlighted ISARC's collaboration with BAU in research and capacity-building initiatives in the rice-based agri-food industry. He also mentioned the recent training of more than 180 farmers under the CRA Programme. He stated the need for further collaboration with ISARC in developing nutraceutical and bio-fortified and less input-requiring rice varieties.

Dr. Anil Kumar Singh, vice president of NAAS, discussed the value of international exposure.

The Center for Excellence in Rice Value Addition (CERVA), the Center of Excellence in Sustainable Agriculture (CESA), and the Center of Education, Innovation, and Research for Development (CEIRD), as well as potential support that ISARC could offer to the state of Bihar, were highlighted in Dr. Sudhanshu Singh's overview of the current and future research priorities of ISARC.