Varanasi: The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the govt of Uttarakhand (GoUK) through the Uttarakhand Gramya Vikas Samiti (UGVS) on Aug 10 to strengthen specialty rice value chains and enhance the productivity, profitability, and livelihoods of smallholder farmers across the state.UGVS, a specialized society promoted and overseen by the department of rural development, GoUK, is implementing the Rural Enterprise Acceleration Project (REAP) with support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The initiative aims to increase rural household incomes through sustainable, market-oriented agricultural development.The partnership marks a significant milestone in advancing Uttarakhand’s specialty rice sector by bringing together IRRI’s global expertise in rice research and innovations of ISARC-CERVA (Centre for Excellence in Rice Value Addition), and the state’s vision as well as strong foundation for inclusive rural development. Through this collaboration, farmers will gain access to improved technologies, premium-quality specialty rice varieties, scientific crop management practices, post-harvest interventions, effective capacity building and stronger market linkages.The MoA was formally signed by Scientist & Country Manager ad interim, IRRI, Swati Nayak and project director, REAP, Jharna Kamthan, in the presence of IRRI and REAP teams.This collaboration represents a decisive step towards building a resilient, competitive, and future-ready specialty rice sector and associated value chain opportunity in Uttarakhand.
