Bhubaneswar: The SOA Deemed to be University in Bhubaneswar has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Krishibandhu CropScience Private Limited (KBC), Kolkata, with the objective of establishing a collaborative framework for research and extension of industrial biotechnology.
The MoU is aimed at initiating a collaborative partnership between KBC and the Centre for Industrial Biotechnology Research (CIBR) of SOA, which manufactures bioagri products like biofertiliser. KBC, which will be the marketing and research partner, will undertake product promotion, awareness generation, farmer outreach, demonstration, marketing, distribution, within mutually agreed areas.
According to the MoU, both parties will work jointly to expand market outreach, improve farmer adoption and generate scientific and commercial evidence regarding product performance including field evaluation. The MoU was signed between SOA Vice-Chancellor Prof Pradipta Kumar Nanda and Director and CEO of KBC Saibal Mitra.
KBC is currently implementing the Rice Carbon Project which is operational across 5,750 hectares of rice land in West Bengal and Odisha over two annual cropping seasons for the last three years. Its primary objective is to mitigate methane emission from irrigated rice fields while improving crop production and productivity through water management technologies like Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD).
In Odisha, the initiative covers 2,500 hectares, engaging 2,209 farmers who receive an incentive of Rs 1,000 per hectare per season to voluntarily adopt these emission-reducing technologies. KBC aims to scale this project to 80,000 hectares across Odisha within the next five years.
Dean of Institute of Agricultural Sciences, SOA, SK Rout, CIBR Director HN Thatoi, Professor of Centre for Biotechnology, SOA, E Subudhi, Assistant Professor, CIBR, Dr Megha Kaviraj and Chief Administrative Officer, SOA, Pramod Kumar Panda, among others, were present during the signing of the MoU.