ICAR-Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow, signed an MoU with NamFarmers.com to accelerate the dissemination of IISR-developed technologies. The MoU will aid in the rapid dissemination of ICAR-IISR developed technologies.
Dr. A.D. Pathak, Director, ICAR-IISR, Lucknow, and Asif Riaz, General Manager, NamFarmers.com signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organisations.
Dr. R.K. Singh, Assistant Director General (CC), ICAR, was in attendance. He stated that the ICAR-IISR, Lucknow has shown promising results after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with DSCL Sugars under the PPP mode to double farmer income.
Dr. Pathak stated that there is enormous potential for the dissemination of improved sugarcane production technology because the Institute has developed a number of improved sugarcane varieties with matching production and protection technologies that are in need of faster dissemination among the stakeholders.
ICAR-IISR, Lucknow is a premier organisation involved in sugarcane research and development, whereas NamFarmers.com is a mobile-based digital platform that connects agricultural stakeholders all over the world and meets their various agricultural information needs in a digital format. It is an agriculture-focused social media platform as well as an online marketplace for farmers to sell or buy agri-products at lower prices.
Under this agreement, the ICAR-IISR, Lucknow will receive Rs. 2/- for each sugarcane farmer who registers with NamFarmers.com. The IISR, Lucknow's advisory and technological information will be sponsored by private firms on Nam Farmers.com, and thus 25% of the firm's revenue will be shared with the IISR, Lucknow.
Dr. A.K. Sah, Principal Scientist and Nodal Officer for the program, stated that this MoU will go a long way toward reaching out to a large section of cane growers across the country with sugarcane production, protection, and processing technologies in order to increase farmers' income.
About ICAR-IISR:
The erstwhile Indian Central Sugarcane Committee established the Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research (IISR) in Lucknow in 1952 to conduct research on fundamental and applied aspects of sugarcane culture, as well as to coordinate research on this crop in various States of the country. On January 1, 1954, the Indian Central Sugarcane Committee handed over control of the Institute to the Government of India. It was transferred to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in New Delhi, along with other central agricultural research institutes, on April 1, 1969.