New Delhi, July 29, 2010:  Public–private partnership in agricultural R&D is increasingly emerging as an effective means of conducting research in frontline areas of science and technology, commercializing new technologies, and deploying new products for the benefit of small-scale farmers, food-insecure consumers, and other marginalized groups, said Mr Sharad Pawar, Minister of Agriculture, while inaugurating ICAR-Industry Meet on July 28, 2010 in New Delhi. The two-day meet will focus on four theme areas viz., Seed and Planting Material; Diagnostics, Vaccines and Biotechnological Products; Farm Implements and Machinery; and Post-Harvest Engineering and Value Addition.

The Minister said, "India’s National Policy on Agriculture (NPA) recognizes the role of the private sector in critical areas of agricultural research and human resource development. Public-private partnerships provide a functional mechanism for any research collaboration between public and private-sector entities where the partners can jointly plan and execute activities to accomplish mutually agreed objectives while sharing the costs, risks and benefits incurred in the process. These partnerships offer a means of tapping the strengths of various partners and channeling knowledge and resources into areas where they can address complex development problems."

The Mr Pawar further said, “Through the public-private partnerships, public sector institutes can leverage valuable private resources, expertise, or marketing networks that they otherwise lack. While the technology can be developed in the public sector organizations, the private sector, where the necessary experience, competencies and tools are more readily available; can be associated in commercialization, marketing, and distribution.”

The Minister of State for Agriculture,  Prof KV Thomas in his address said, planning the role for public–private collaboration in agriculture research and development needs to look beyond the aspects of resource generation, and risk and benefit sharing only. Prof Thomas said, the focus should be on the opportunities and possibilities such as improved productivity, greater crop or livestock diversity, technology transfer for employment generation, and expansion of the intended markets; be that local, urban or export. These partnerships could also be helpful in fostering the much-needed linkages between inventor in the public sector, technology user in the private sector, and the farmer; who is the end user of technology.

Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education, and DG, ICAR Dr S Ayyappan expressed the eagerness of ICAR to facilitate innovative involvement of all the players and stakeholders in the production and distribution of its goods and services for attaining sustainable food and livelihoods security as well as for global competitiveness of Indian agriculture. He said, ICAR appreciates the role and opportunity before private sector in the changed times in delivering the quality products suitable to various agro-ecologies and farming situations.

About 300 representatives from companies, federations, organizations and scientists from ICAR institutes are participating in the Meet.