By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Dr. Yvonne Pinto. Director General of International Rice Research Institute, Manila, Philippines, highlighted new directions in the field of rice research in a science- based lecture organized under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister, Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment and Minister of Energy, Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo at Krushi Bhavan Auditorium today. Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Principal Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, welcomed Ms. Pinto and highlighted the approach of the conference.
Hon’ble Deputy CM in his speech explained the origin of rice cultivation in Odisha and its relationship with our culture. He expressed his views on how the presence of various traditional varieties of rice such as Kala jeera rice, in the Koraput region is making Odisha proud on the global rice cultivation map.
He promised to provide all kinds of help from the government to open a research branch of this institute in Odisha in partnership with the International Rice Research Institute and the state government. Dr. Pinto thanked the state government for being able to research many problems related to rice cultivation in the climate of Odisha and take steps to solve them. In the field of rice research, climate change issues, development of nutritious rice varieties of rice and creation of export oriented market along with creation of rice value chain promised to lead Odisha in the field of rice cultivation.
The International Rice Research Institute will play a significant role in eliminating hunger, poverty and malnutrition from the state through rice cultivation and creating a sustainable agricultural environment for rice cultivation by believing in science- based agricultural transformation of the state said by the Principal Secretary Agriculture department Shri Arabinda Kumar Padhee.
Director Agriculture Shri Prem Chandra Choudhary, Director Horticulture Shri Nikhil Pawan Kalyan, Dean OUAT, Senior Officials of Agriculture department, and Scientists participated in this knowledge-based discussion. Later a question answer session was held.At the end of session Shri Prem Chandra Choudhary delivered vote of thanks.
