The Ministry of Agriculture on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Association (MoA) with Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) for setting up a regional centre of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Varanasi, the Prime Minister’s constituency, to develop high- yielding rice varieties.
The IRRI, which has offices in 17 countries, is known for its work in developing rice varieties that contributed to the green revolution in 1960s.
IRRI's South Asia Regional Centre will be set up at the campus of National Seed Research and Training Centre (NSRTC) in Varanasi. The MoA was signed between Agriculture Secretary Shobhana K Patnaik and IRRI Director General Matthew Morell.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said: "The rich biodiversity of India can be utilised to develop special rice varieties. This will help India achieve higher per hectare yields and improved nutritional contents." Country's food and nutritional security issues will also be addressed, he said in a statement.