**Bhubaneswar:** Odisha Government on Saturday signed Memorandum of Associations (MoAs) with three international agencies in a bid to develop and release high yielding and cold tolerant varieties of green gram and black gram for the state.
The signing of MoAs was with AVRDC of Taiwan, ICARDA of Lebanon & CIMMYT of Mexico in presence of Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy.
The MoAs, which will remain in force till the end of financial year 2017-18, will entrust the three international agencies to develop improved varieties of Mung, Biri and Maize seeds suitable for cultivation in the state.
Notably, the productivity of black gram and green gram in the state is low due to lack of availability of cold tolerant varieties as majority areas of black and green gram cultivation are in rice fallows during the Rabi crop season.
Although production has been increasing over the years due to implementation of various schemes of the government, Odisha is lagging behind the national average in the productivity level of pulses.
Need to be mentioned that, to increase the production and productivity of pulses, the National Food Security Mission (Pulses) is being implemented in the state since 2007-08. Under this scheme the farmers are given incentives and subsidies on various inputs.
Also to increase the production and productivity of Arhar, Odisha Government is implementing one Pigeon Pea project under Rashtriya Krushi Vikash Yojana (RKVY) through ICRISAT since 2010-11.
As a result of which ICRISAT has released one hybrid Pigeon Pea variety (Parvati) in the state, a press note of Agriculture department stated.
Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy said, “Besides the three MoAs with foreign firms, NSC has been given to Sukinda Farm on lease basis for production of pulse seeds namely Arhar, Mung and Biri”.
