For strengthening the agricultural products value chain through building synergy with various institutions of repute, the Agricultural and Processed food Products Development Authority (APEDA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (GBPUAT), Pantnagar, Uttarakhand.

The MoU envisages cooperation between APEDA and GBPUAT which would harness their respective expertise and resources for development of agriculture products exports from India. For creating product specific clusters for exports, two institutions of repute, would jointly develop technologies for advance alertness, efficient & precision farming for enhancing quality exports.  

The MoU also focusses on use of digital agriculture including drones, satellites, GIS and GPS to be promoted for early assessment of health, productivity and production of major crops of Uttarakhand.

APEDA and GBPUAT would collaborate for diversifying the export basket, destinations and for boosting high value agricultural exports and establishing Brand India globally. Along with other horticultural, livestock and new innovative products, GBPUAT would focus primarily boosting exports of products such as Basmati rice, Millets, Medicinal, Aromatic, Horticultural, and other plants for nutraceutical plant extract, oil, powder from Uttarakhand.

The MoU also aims at establishment of Basmati-Rice and Millets Export Development Centre for providing support and necessary infrastructure for facilitating production and setting-up a value chain for Agri-export.  

APEDA and GBPAU would take up joint projects for the development and export of agricultural and processed food products which includes fruit, vegetable clusters development, facilitation cum monitoring cell in Uttarakhand.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Dr M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA and Dr A K Shukla, Vice-Chancellor, GBPAU. APEDA would provide financial support for NABL accredited lab, capacity building, infrastructural development of agricultural export.

While APEDA, which functions under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, promote agricultural and processed food products exports, GBPAU has been instrumental in developing a spectrum of agricultural technologies including new varieties of crops, which are being extensively used by farmers across the country

For boosting value-addition and farmers’ income, APEDA has signed a series of MoUs with ICAR-Central Citrus Research Institute (ICAR-CCRI), Nagpur, ICAR-Indian Institute of Millet Research (ICAR-IIMR), Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore. National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) and others.

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DJN/PK

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