Hyderabad, February 14, 2022..… Bio Agri Input Producers Association (BIPA), a Hyderabad based not for profit industry body working towards the use of biological technology for sustainable agriculture in India and across the globe signed two separate MoUs (Memorandum of Understandings) with two prestigious government bodies. One is with the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) and the other one is with Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University(PJTSAU). The MOUs were signed in a special function held on Saturday night in Hotel Park Hyatt, Hyderabad.
MANAGE is an autonomous Institute by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India. PJTSAU is a state agriculture university.
The MoU with MANAGE was signed and exchanged between Dr KRK Reddy, President of Bio Agri Input Producers Association and Dr. P. Chandra Shekara Director General, MANAGE.
The second MoU with PJTSAU was signed by Dr KRK Reddy, President, on behalf of BIPA and Dr. S. Sudheer Kumar, Registrar on behalf of PJTSAU and exchanged by Dr KRK Reddy and Dr. V. Praveen Rao, Vice-Chancellor of PJTSAU.
The two MoUs are to carry out bio-efficacy trials and other studies required for regulatory purposes as well as collaborative research and extension. These will be mutually beneficial for students, faculty for exchange, collaboration, and utilisation of in house R&D for mutual benefit.
The two MoUs are the first such things in India in the Bio Agri Input Industry.
Speaking on the occasion Dr KRK Reddy said the objective of BIPA is to integrate Indian Industry and give it, its due recognition. The action points after signing MoUs will be an extension, collaboration, research and trials.
Speaking on the occasion Dr. P. Chandra Shekara said MANAGE is appointed by the Ministry as the nodal agency to promote Natural Farming. Though there are no package practices readily available for natural farming, we will look at community validated practices, screen and validate them. And we will mobilise scientific evidence and prepare the ground for natural farming to grow. He highlighted various opportunities which BIPA can encash from MANAGE such as talent pool of Agri-Business Management Alumni, Agri Trained Youth, Micro enterprises, trained input dealers and Agri StartUps. All these platforms and the talent pool is open to BIPA, he said.
Dr. Praveen Rao said it was the first-time PJTSAU signed an MoU with an industrial body. We have always partnered with Institutions and Industries.
Speaking further Dr. Praveen Rao said, No individual can address the challenges faced by the industry. It has to be with collaboration and partnership. Let us come together and address common challenges of the industry of which we all are apart.
80 years after Organic Farming, the West still is not able to cross significant areas. The general perception is that if you follow organic farming you will get reduced yield. We need to address these and many issues. We need to prepare scientific evidence for these and many issues, he said.
Let us jointly promote student-led research, knowledge enhancing conferences and build a strong knowledge he told.
The MoUs are a very important development both for the industry as well as for all the stakeholders to carry out bio-efficacy trials and other studies required for regulatory purposes. Biological efficacy is a method or a process to find out the effectiveness of specified material, input, and process at affecting biological organisms
Collaboration between industry and academia is key to catalyse innovation and growth in technology, added Dr Venkatesh Devanur, Secretary of BIPA.
University-industry collaborations can stimulate companies’ internal research. University researchers help industrial scientists identify current research that might be beneficial for the development of innovative products, materials and processes, Dr Venkatesh added.
The MoUs also helps both the organizations to have to cooperate, collaborate research and exchange of students and helps the society at large. It is a win-win for all, said Dr KRK Reddy, President of Bio Agri Input Producers Association.