ADMI project kick off in Bihar includes top-level Indian administrators

Chandigarh, 10th Aug 2015- ADM Institute for the Prevention of Postharvest Loss today announcedthe launch of its project "Reduction of Postharvest Loss for Smallholder Farmers," which will createits"ADMI Village" in India. The project was launchedin the presence of Shri Radha Mohan Singh, Honorable Agriculture Minister of India,presided over by Shri Ram Kripal Yadav, Honorable MoS Drinking Water & Sanitation. Also present at the event were senior dignitariesDr. Prasanta Kalita, Director, ADM Institute for the Prevention of Postharvest Loss, University of Illinois;Dr. Robert Easter, President Emeritus, University of Illinois; Dr. H.S. Gupta, Director General of BISA;Dr. Narendra Ahuja, Director, ITRA;Dr. K. Alagusudaram DDG (Engg.), ICAR; Dr. R.K. Mittal, Vice Chancellor, RAU; Dr. Martin Kropp, Managing Director, ADM India;Dr. S. AyyappanSecretary, DARE; and DG, ICAR, Dr. B.P. Bhatt, Director, ICAR Research Complex.



The ADMI project will be a practical implementation of postharvest loss-reducing technologies that match Bihar's specific challenges by focusing on postharvest loss (PHL) reduction in wheat, maize, rice and lentils in the districts of Samastipur, Begusarai, Bhagalpur, Purneaand Motihari in Bihar, India. The project termed as the "ADMI Village" aims to be an international training, technology demonstration and development hub that will further focus and expand activities of postharvest loss prevention research, education and training, gender and minority development in agriculture, increase farm income and other related issues.



The project is a partnership between the ADM Institute for the Prevention of Postharvest Loss, at the University of Illinois, and two Indian agricultural universities, Rajendra Agriculture University (RAU), Bihar Agricultural University (BAU), as well as the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA). The Information Technology Research Academy (ITRA) will participate to bring an IT approach to postharvest issues through this project.



ADMI has worked since 2011 to fund research and create an understanding of challenges and possible solutions to postharvest loss, and the project in Bihar will allow researchers to focus on improving lives and livelihoods for some of the world's poorest people. The village will also attract international attention by demonstrating in the real world how reducing postharvest losses can impact food security. At the beginning of 2014, a two-day strategy formulation meeting (SFM) was held with several Indian and University of Illinois colleagues in New Delhi, representing university, government, and NGOs. This brainstorming session resulted in 28 topics surfacing to address the postharvest loss (PHL) issues in India with the top three problems being drying, storage and farmer education. The ADMI project was launched in Bihar to address these problems on priority.



Speaking on this occasion, Prasanta K. Kalita, ADM Institute Directorsaid, "At ADM Institute, our aim is to reduce the postharvest loss (PHL), a significant problem in India,particularly in states such as Bihar. A substantial amount of crop (up to 50%) is lost in the postharvest processes due to lack of knowledge of the farmers and inadequate technologies. With the launch of this project we aim to reduce this postharvest loss (PHL), addressing the problems of the farmers and educating them, thereby successfully improving the lives of the farm farmers.



About the ADM Institute: Since its establishment in 2011, the ADM Institute has emerged as a leader in the field of postharvest loss prevention. Through groundbreaking research it has worked to create new, evidence-based knowledge and develop and introduce technologies. The Institute has built the capacity of stakeholders while driving a critical dialogue worldwide on how through the reduction of crop losses, food security and rural development can be greatly improved for producers and consumers worldwide.

Originally Source : Perfect Relations