Setting up of a Mega Seed Park by the Iowa State University in Andhra Pradesh and a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with Iowa State were key achievements during the fourth-day of visit of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his team in the United States.
The State government entered into the MoC with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa State, to promote research and development in science, agriculture and life sciences.
Crop output
Mr. Naidu said Andhra Pradesh was adopting innovative and best practices in the agriculture sector. Setting up of Farmer Producers’ Organizations and Water Users’ Associations were a few of them. Various initiatives were being taken from seeds to cultivation practices to storage and post-production processes. The MoC would help in increasing the seed production and research, leading to an increase in crop output, he felt.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey, World Food Prize Foundation President Kenneth M. Quinn and Director Craig Hill, Consul General of India in Chicago Neeta Bushan and others were present. Mr. Naidu visited the Seed Science Center at the university to initiate the launch of the park project.
The centre works to provide access to quality seed, facilitating seed trade, and promoting the growth and development of the seed industry. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (Iowa State University) Dean Dr. Wendy Wintersteen, Seed Science Center Director Dr. Manjit K Misra and others were present.
Leaders of California, including San Jose Mayor Sam Licardo, Congress representative Ro Khanna, senator Bob Welcowsk, assembly member Kansen Chu, Aash Kalra, met the Chief Minister. Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, Government Advisor (Communications) Parakala Prabhakar and others were present.
