With climate change creating havoc, the Odisha Government has decided to collaborate with the International Rice Research Institute (IIRI), Manila for promotion of new high-yielding, stress-tolerant and climate change-resilient rice in the State.
An MoU would be signed between the Department of Agriculture and the IRRI here on Saturday. The MoU would remain in force for five years and work plans would be chalked out by both the IRRI and the Department of Agriculture.
IRRI Director General-Designate Dr Mathew Morrel is visiting the State on Saturday in view of the State’s rice production being affected by stresses like flood, drought and salinity as characterised by low and fragile productivity. Dr Morrel would be present at the MoU-signing ceremony.
Recently, Chief Secretary G C Pati and Principal Secretary, Agriculture Rajesh Verma visited the IRRI headquarters in Manila to have an on-the-spot knowledge the latest research and development on rice.
The IRRI-Odisha collaboration would promote appropriate management practices in rain-fed and irrigated areas, resulting in improved rice-based cropping systems to ensure food and nutrient security and profit to farmers.
This initiative would significantly enhance and stabilise rice production and productivity in stress-prone areas, said a senior officer in Department of Agriculture.
Odisha would receive accelerated diffusion of modern stress-tolerant rice varieties and other technologies and more efficient and cost-effective nutrient management technologies would be available to farmers.
This collaboration is expected to explore a more science-based crop insurance system at a reasonable cost in collaboration of women in agriculture.
Capacity building of rice scientists, progressive farmers and agriculture officials would be taken up, said the officer.