PM Inaugurates International Rice Research Institute's South Asia Regional Centre

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the International Rice Research Institute South Asia Regional Centre (IRRI SARC) in Varanasi. It is the sixth campus of IRRI SARC. The institute will complement the government’s effort to double farmer’s income by 2022.

IRRI South Asia Regional Centre (IRRI SARC)

The components of the IRRI SARC are:

• The education and training arm of IRRI SARC will educate scientists and agriculture leaders about the latest technologies and innovations for sustainable farming.
• The IRRI SARC will house laboratories for digital crop monitoring and assessment.
• IRRI SARC will house demonstration fields for testing various varieties of rice.
• IRRI SARC will also house  Centre of Excellence in Rice Value Addition (CERVA), which would be a suite of modern laboratories where rice grains are assessed for quality and nutritional value and sensory evaluations for grain taste, texture and aroma are conducted on-site facilities.

International Rice Research Institute

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is a dynamic and rapidly evolving organization which focuses on solving complex global problems through vibrant, rice-based agri-food systems. It is headquartered in Los Baños, Laguna in the Philippines.

Benefits of the IRRI SARC

The IRRI SARC centre will aid in the following ways:

• It will serve as a hub for rice research and training in South Asia and SAARC region.
• The IRRI SARC will aid in improving crop production, seed quality and the nutritional value of rice.
• The centre will work with national partners to enhance farmers’ knowledge and income and deliver advanced research, teaching and services in the connection.
• IRRI SARC aims to improve livelihood and nutrition, abolishing poverty, hunger, and malnutrition among those countries which depend on rice-based agri-food systems.
• The Centre will help in utilizing the rich biodiversity of India to develop special rice varieties which will help India to achieve higher per hectare yields and improved nutritional contents.
• The Centre will support in adopting a value chain based production system in the country by reducing wastage, adding value and generating higher income for the farmers.

Together with giving impetus to Indian agriculture the centre will catalyze South-South collaboration, strengthen the research expertise and capacity of rice-growing countries in the region, and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals.
 

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2018