ISARC Holds Workshop On Rice-Based Agri-Food Systems In The Country
The IRRI ISARC held an Inception Workshop in Varanasi, launching a project to transform Indian agriculture. Key stakeholders, including professors and scientists, gathered to discuss Technological Innovations in Agriculture for Increased Food Security and Income. ISARC director emphasized capacity development for women farmers, supported by DBT. This collaborative effort aims to empower women farmers and scientists in rice-based agricultural systems.
Varanasi: The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC) convened an Inception Workshop on Wednesday, marking the initiation of a transformative project aimed at revolutionising agriculture in India. The workshop, titled — Technological Innovations in Agriculture for Increased Food Security and Income: A Capacity Development Initiative with Women Farmers (and Scientists) of Rice-Based Agri-Food Systems in India — brought together key stakeholders from across the country. Professors and scientists from various Indian agricultural universities and institutes — including Banaras Hindu University, Assam Agricultural University (Jorhat, Assam), Bihar Agricultural University (Sabour, Bihar), and others joined the workshop. Addressing the inaugural session of the workshop, ISARC director Sudhanshu Singh stressed the need for capacity development among women farmers in India. “Our endeavour today stems from the acknowledgment that despite their invaluable experience in crop management, many women farmers are still hindered by household responsibilities. I firmly believe that active participation, collective expertise, and shared experiences will facilitate an open exchange of ideas, feedback, and insights, ultimately shaping project activities and ensuring their effectiveness on the ground, benefiting our women farmers,” he said. Supported by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), ministry of science and technology, Government of India, this initiative represents a collaborative effort to address the capacity development needs of women farmers and scientists in India’s rice-based agricultural systems.He said that this initiative stems from the convergence of the missions of DBT and IRRI, aiming to empower women farmers and scientists engaged in rice-based agri-food syste