HUBLI: The University of Agricultural Sciences, (UAS), Dharwad, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) here recently with Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Bunda Campus, Lilongwe, Malawi, Africa, to collaborate on a number of potential areas.
An official delegation, consisting of Dr George %Kanyama Phiri, vice-chancellor, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr Charles Macphery Masangano, associate professor in agricultural %extension of the university, Dr Geoffrey Kananji, country co-ordinator, Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa, Malawi, and Suresh, Sathguru Consultants, Hyderabad, visited UAS, Dharwad, as part of an agricultural initiative partnership.
The team visited the seed processing unit of the department of seed science and technology, the Institute of Organic Farming, the Institute of Agri Biotechnology, the Farm Science Centre, the Food Science and Technology Laboratory and the College of Home Science, and commended UAS on its infrastructural development. Phiri asked UAS, Dharwad, to guide the Malawi delegation in strengthening LUANAR, which was recently established.
The LUANAR team later signed the MoU with UAS, Dharwad. The Dharwad university will share its expertise and assist LUANAR in developing a curriculum catering to the needs of the seed system and the seed industry, and adopt the seed village and breeder seed revolving fund concepts of UAS, Dharward, to popularize better performing crop varieties and associated technologies with farmers in Malawi. Both universities agreed to share crop germplasm in select crops. The MoU also encourages short- and long-term exchange of scientific staff and students and work on collaborative research projects, said UAS sources.
This visit was facilitated by Sathguru Management Consultants Pvt Ltd, Hyderabad, and Cornell University under the ‘Feed the Future’ initiative funded by the United States Agency for International Development. The entire programme was coordinated by Dr RS Poddar, head, project planning and monitoring cell, Dr RH Patil and Dr B S Yenagi of UAS, Dharwad.
A team from UAS, Dharwad, led by vice-chancellor Dr DP Biradar and comprising Dr BM Khadi, director of research, Dr MB Chetti, director of extension, registrar, BB Hosamani, special officer (seeds), Dr N K Biradarpatil and other senior officials were present.
