In a first, ICAR likely to partner private players for joint research

Guidelines for private participation in 2 months

In a first, India’s premier state-run body for coordinating, guiding, and managing research and education in agriculture, horticulture, fisheries, and animal sciences, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), is planning to open the door to the private sector across the entire value chain of farming — from joint seed development, collaboration in research, and extension services to marketing.

The ICAR institutes are also looking to open their facilities, laboratories, and fields to joint research with the private sector in seed development and other connected sectors and will also look at royalty-sharing of patented products with the private sector.

The same could happen the other way round as well.

 The collaboration will start right from the basics of problem identification in any sphere of farming or related activities like livestock, fisheries, and animal husbandry.

“The council is planning to come up with a set of comprehensive guidelines for private-sector participation in the entire value chain of agriculture in the next two months,” ICAR Director-General Himanshu Pathak told Business Standard.

He was addressing a select group of reporters on the sidelines of the council’s 95th foundation and technology day.

As per ICAR website, with 113 institutes and 71 agricultural universities spread across the country, the Council is one of the largest national agricultural systems in the world.

It played a pioneering role in ushering in the Green Revolution and subsequent developments in agriculture in India through its research and technology development, enabling the country to increase the production of foodgrain, horticulture crops, fish, and eggs since 1950-51.

So far, the council and its affiliated institutes have licensed products and innovations to private companies for extension and commercialisation and have done contract research with them across several fields.

“This time, we are looking at a much deeper engagement with the private sector that will include opening up our research facilities to private scientists and companies, developing joint products and even sharing royalty for co-produced products,” said Pathak. He said the government was keen that the private and public sectors work jointly for the furtherance and growth of Indian agriculture.

In the recent past, ICAR — through its affiliated research institutes — has signed 17 memoranda of understanding with the private sector in different fields and spheres that include cropscience, livestock, feed development, etc. Last year, the council developed and released 346 new varieties of crops, of which roughly 100 varieties were of horticulture crops.

“Nearly 250 varieties were of climate-resistant crops which can withstand adverse climatic conditions,” said Pathak.

He said ICAR was also working to develop a robust carbon credit market in the country for agriculture as it is one of the prominent greenhouse gas emitters.

A K Singh, director of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, said joint ventures have been formed with private companies and ICAR institutes to develop protocols for measurement of carbon credits generated and assessing the claims made by farmers to arrive at a fair value. “In the next 10 years, we should aim at making the same amount of money through carbon credit trading in paddy as we do in exporting it,” said Pathak.

He said the council was also looking at a policy on revamping krishi vigyan kendras.