Shimla, May 2 (PTI) Noted agricultural scientist and secretary in the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Mangi Lal Jat, on Friday stressed the importance of strengthening the potato value chain, from seeds to processing and markets, official said.
Interacting with the staff members of the Shimla chapter of the Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), Jat elaborated on the role of behavioural science in technology diffusion and adoption and the importance of breeding nutrient efficient varieties of the crop, according to an official statement issued by the institute.
Students and field workers were part of the discussion with Mangi Lal, who also serves as the director general of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), an autonomous body under the agriculture ministry.
Appreciating the accomplishments of the institute, Mangi Lal sensitised the staff members about research data management, communication strategy, and MELIA (monitoring, evaluation, learning and impact assessment).
He also chaired a session on the theme ‘Strengthening the Potato Value Chain: A Conclave of Stakeholders’, which was attended by stakeholders from seed companies, potato processing industries, farmer bodies, and the state agriculture department.
During the conclave, it was stressed that germplasm imported for research cannot be used for commercial purposes, with Mangi Ram asking the agriculture department to prepare an SOP for it.
Several recommendations aimed at strengthening the potato value chain, from seeds to processing and markets, were made during the conclave to reduce the bottlenecks faced by the farmers and the industry.
Mangi Lal also inaugurated a museum and a centre of excellence for genome editing before visiting research laboratories and other facilities at the institute.