Varanasi : MKS Sundaram, principal secretary, agriculture, agriculture education & research, agriculture marketing, and agriculture foreign trade & export promotion department, recently visited International Rice Research Institute’s (IRRI) South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC) and reviewed ongoing research and collaborative initiatives.
Vikram Patil , IRRI-UP-AGREES project lead, presented the progress achieved during Kharif 2026 in collaboration with UPDASP and the Department of Agriculture, and outlined plans for Rabi 2026-27 under the project. Vikas Kumar Singh, interim director of ISARC, briefed him on the centre’s research mandate, facilities, ongoing projects and technological innovations. Sundaram toured the centre’s research farms and observed demonstrations of several agricultural technologies, including SpeedBreed Facility, Mechanisation and Postharvest Unit, Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) trial plots, drone-based applications, Varietal Cafeteria and Natural Resource Management (NRM) plots. Sundaram also discussed issues like ongoing research, emerging agricultural technologies and opportunities to strengthen collaboration between IRRI and the Uttar Pradesh govt to address agricultural challenges and promote sustainable farming. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Varanasi | Silver Rate in Varanasi | Bank Holidays in Varanasi | Public Holidays in Varanasi | Varanasi AQI | Weather in Varanasi | Petrol Price in Varanasi | Diesel Price in Varanasi | CNG Price in Varanasi | LPG Price in Varanasi