Ap-Netherlands Project Aid For Angrau

Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU), the largest agri university in the country and which recently bagged the best varsity award, has roped in the AP-Netherlands Biotechnology Project (APNBP) to support its education and research programmes in the biotechnology sector.

The varsity which has already been carrying some pioneering research in veterinary and plant biotechnology segments is proposing to start a full-fledged school of biotechnology in the next six months.

While on education front, it runs PG courses in agricultural and veterinary biotechnology courses, it is grounding various research projects in the two areas.

Recognising its potential for education and research programmes on a large-scale, APNBP has announced a first grant of Rs 2.5 crore.

 

Briefing newsmen on the occasion of ANGRAU entering into an MoU with APNBP, the varsity vice-chancellor, I V Subba Rao said that besides the APNBP grant, the varsity was already in receipt of Rs 80 lakh to start a biotech research building in consultation with CCMB.

Efforts are on to get another grant of Rs 2.5 crore from APNBP, he disclosed. The biotech school building would be named J Ragotham Reddy AP-Netherlands Biotechnology Building.

The varsity in on the verge of commercialising various research accomplishments and sought a site in the Biotech Park for taking up R&D, the vice-chancellor said, adding that the varsity would also start offering PhDs in its biotech programmes.

Explaining the initiatives by APNBP, its chairman MV Rao said the Government of Netherlands had sponsored a project for application of biotechnology for improving crop productivity besides a programme for human resource development in the field of agricultural and veterinary biotechnology.

Since its inception in 1996, the project yield good results in the drought-hit Mahbubnagar and Nalgonda districts. It incurred Rs 16.7 crore in the first phase which ended in 2002.

Apart from covering projects like micro propagation, vermiculture, integrated pest management, mushroom cultivation, it is also launching soon an entrepreneurial development scheme for the farmers, he said.

The project had also rendered an assistance of around Rs 23 crore for over 60 projects in various education and research establishments in the state. Another Rs 20 crore worth assistance would be provided by the year 2007.

M V Rao felt that biotechnology use should be taken recourse to stop colossal waste in fruits and food processing sectors.

Biotech research could help the longevity and storeability of perishable commodities, he noted. APNBP would enter the segment of medicinal and aromatic plantation, MV Rao informed.