The National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB), Tiruchi, has signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Andhra Pradesh government and would serve as a knowledge partner in developing technologies relating to banana production.
S.Uma, Director, NRCB, and M.Girija Shankar, Secretary to Government, Industries and Commerce Department, Andhra Pradesh, signed the agreement recently in the presence of N.Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, says NRCB in a press release.
NRCB, an institution under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, will be the ‘knowledge partner’ in developing technologies towards value chain management, supporting banana export, organic production and waste utilisation. It will provide training, human resource development and hand hold growers and entrepreneurs to promote indigenous and commercial varieties for domestic and export markets, the release said.
Andhra Pradesh is the leading producer of several crops including banana. The post harvest losses being 25-35%, special impetus was given to food processing industry. The Andhra Pradesh government had brought out a Food Processing Policy and had sought R&D support from select institutes in the country and ICAR-NRCB was one among them.
Dr. Uma briefed Mr.Naidu about the latest developments in research in banana cultivation and export market.
