Solution

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in its ongoing attempts to deepen engagement with the private sector, has now entered into a MoU with global biotech and agri-major Bayer for resource-efficient technology development and enhancing farmers' income through regenerative agriculture.   The institutional partnership between Bayer and ICAR will work to promote efficient agronomic practices such as Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) in paddy cultivation. It will also work towards developing carbon credit markets. the partnership between ICAR and Bayer will work towards empowering smallholder farmers in achieving greater yields, adopting water-efficient practices, and providing them with an opportunity to earn additional incentives through better market linkages.   As part of the collaboration, Krishi Vigyan Kendras will strengthen outreach to a wider farmers' base by leveraging technological know-how and expertise through the transfer of technology and capacity-building programmes.   This collaboration will lead to resource-efficient technology development and its dissemination. KVKs will play an important role in the assessment of these technologies in different agro-ecologies and their adoption and diffusion among the farming community.