The Indian Council of Agricultural Research - Directorate of Floricultural Research (ICAR-DFR) in Pune and the Fragrance and Flavour Development Centre (FFDC) in Kannauj have joined forces to advance the development of high-quality fragrances from flower crops. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the two institutions to facilitate training programs, capacity-building initiatives, and the creation of innovative fragrance products derived from flowers.
Dr. K.V. Prasad, Director of ICAR-DFR, emphasized that the MoU aims to foster collaboration in fragrance research and promote the development of valuable products from flower crops. He highlighted the potential for significantly increasing farmers' incomes through the creation of high-value phytochemicals and related products.
Shakti Vinay Shukla, Director of FFDC, underscored the importance of providing tailored training programs to ICAR and AICRP scientists to enhance their skills in fragrance development. He emphasized the goal of developing specialized floral fragrances.
Officials from both institutions expressed their commitment to leveraging their combined strengths to promote inter-institutional research, exchange knowledge, and create value-added products from fragrant ornamentals.
To kickstart the collaboration, a 10-day training program on the production of fragrant raw materials and fragrance and flavor creation was inaugurated for scientists from ICAR-DFR and AICRP centers.