International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics has signed an agreement with Food 360 Foundation, an NGO working for the farming community, for the transfer of farm technologies.

Under the agreement, the institute will transfer technologies, and also promote agri-business activities for the foundation.

The foundation is working on a programme to ensure food and nutrition security through sustainable growth. It includes members such as K.S. Raju, Chairman of the Nagarjuna Group; Galla Ramachandra Naidu, Chairman of Amararaja Batteries; Suresh Chukkapalli, Chairman of the Phoenix Group; G.B.K. Rao, Chairman of Pragarthi Resourts; and software veteran, J. A. Chowdhary.

As a follow-up to the agreement with Icrisat, the foundation has planned a series of one-day conference for farmers in Telugu. Called Rytu Sadassu, the conferences will be held in every district headquarters of the State to take agriculture technology to the grass-root level for the welfare of small and marginal farmers.

It also organised a workshop on ‘Cost- Effective Covered Cultivation’ here, with Rakesh Sharda, Principal Investigator and Extension Specialist, Department of Soil and Water Engineering, Punjab Agricultural University, speaking on protected cultivation.

amitmitra@thehindu.co.in