In its ongoing efforts to deepen engagement with the private sector, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has now signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with global biotech and agri-major Bayer for resource-efficient technology development and increasing farmers' income through regenerative agriculture. A few weeks ago, the Council announced an agreement with e-commerce giant Amazon to train farmers registered in its 'Kisan store' on scientific agricultural growing and help them achieve maximum productivity and profitability.

 

An official release on the Bayer MoU stated that the institutional cooperation between Bayer and ICAR will aim to promote efficient agronomic practices like Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) in paddy agriculture. It will also try to establish carbon credit markets.

 

"ICAR has an extensive network of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK) for extension, and this network will facilitate DSR adoption by farmers in different agro-ecologies. Bayer will support the KVK agri-entrepreneurs through awareness and education programmes, input availability, and mechanisation solutions in defined clusters," the official statement said.

 

The partnership between ICAR and Bayer will also aim to assist smallholder farmers in obtaining higher yields, adopting water-efficient techniques, and earning additional incentives through improved market linkages, according to the announcement. As part of the agreement, Krishi Vigyan Kendras will broaden their reach to a broader farmer base by using technological know-how and expertise via technology transfer and capacity-building programs.

 

Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Secretary of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of ICAR, stated that engagement with business partners in research and extension is groundbreaking.