On Tuesday, the ICAR-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research in Varanasi hosted a significant Technical Promotion Day, organized by the Agri-Business Incubator (ABI) and the Zonal Technical Management Unit (ZTMU). The event was aimed at introducing the latest hybrids, varieties, and technologies developed for tomato, eggplant, and chili crops to 50 representatives from 25 seed companies and farmer producer organizations.
Under the leadership of the institute's Director, Nagendra Rai, the attendees were shown the new vegetable crop varieties developed by the institute, with a focus on their potential benefits for the agricultural sector. Arvind Nath Singh, Executive Director, engaged in insightful discussions with seed company representatives, focusing on the quality standards and marketing strategies for improved vegetable crop seeds.
Program and project coordinators, Rajesh Kumar, elaborated on the importance of public-private partnerships (PPP) for promoting the institute’s advanced vegetable crop varieties. He emphasized the critical role these partnerships play in the dissemination of new varieties to farmers and stakeholders, and the value of collaborations with private companies through such partnerships.
Sudarshan Maurya, Principal Scientist and Chair of ABI and ZTMU, led a field visit and detailed discussions on the characteristics, evaluation processes, and licensing procedures of both open-pollinated and hybrid varieties developed by the institute. The field visit allowed participants to learn more about the export, commercial, and trade aspects, along with the disease and pest resistance of the new crop varieties.
The event concluded with feedback sessions where participants assured their support for the licensing and registration of these varieties, providing recommendations to further enhance their adoption and use in the agricultural market.
