ICRISAT Celebrates its 54th Foundation Day with a Vision for Resilient and Prosperous Drylands
Media Release
Hyderabad, India – 28 March 2024: The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) commemorated its 54th Foundation Day with a milestone event focused on strengthening partnerships, reaffirming its commitment to transforming dryland agriculture and ensuring food and nutrition security in arid regions worldwide. The event brought together esteemed dignitaries, researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders to celebrate five decades of scientific excellence and partnerships.
Foundation Day Address
In his Foundation Day Address, Dr Himanshu Pathak, Director General of ICRISAT, highlighted ICRISAT’s pioneering contributions over the past five decades and its roadmap ahead.
On this Foundation Day, we remember our past and look forward to redeeming our commitment to the future. With the changing climate, the drylands are getting thirstier for water and hungrier for soil nutrition. The drylands need us," said Dr Pathak.
“Besides developing more than 1200 new varieties of dryland crops, ICRISAT has brought water to places that had gone dry and brought dreams to farmers, who see us as a guarantee for growing crops in deserted drylands. With science and technology, we can transform the drylands,” said Dr Pathak.
Dr Pathak listed 10 action points for the institution and staff to fulfill the organization's mandate and live up to the motto of 'Science of Discovery to Science of Delivery.'
The event also featured addresses from partners virtually:
- Dr DK Yadav, Deputy Director General (Crop Sciences), ICAR, New Delhi, congratulated ICRISAT and commended its role in successfully improving people's livelihoods in India, Africa, and the world. He spoke of ICRISAT's strong partnership with the National Agricultural Research and Extension System (NARES). He said that with a growing population and changing climate, the need for increased farm productivity calls for greater collaboration.
- Prof. O Jiri, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water & Rural Development, Government of Zimbabwe, in a message read out by his representative, said that their government was proud of their association with ICRISAT and to celebrate the Foundation Day with the Institute. He said that agriculture is key to transforming people's lives.
- Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Principal Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers Empowerment, Government of Odisha, spoke of ICRISAT's collaboration, commending staff for their work and emphasizing the importance of last-mile delivery.
Highlights of the Ceremony:
The celebrations featured the launch of a special video titled Transforming Dryland Agriculture: Over 50 Years of Impact, underscoring ICRISAT’s contributions to sustainable agrifood systems. Dr Stanford Blade, Deputy Director General-Research & Innovation, presented ICRISAT’s strategic roadmap for securing food and nutrition in dryland regions.
Launch of ICRISAT Publications and Products
- Recognition of 2024 Seed Varieties – Research Program Director-Accelerated Crop Improvement Dr Sean Mayes and the breeding team presented the 23 cultivars across five countries released in 2024.
- Policy Series Launch – The inaugural issue of SeedPulse the ICRISAT Policy Brief on Seed Systems, prepared by the Global Head-Seed Systems, Dr Manzoor Dar, and his team, was launched.
- New Policy Brief on Millet Mainstreaming – The policy brief developed by Deputy Global Research Program Director of the Enabling Systems Transformation program, Dr Shalander Kumar on Advancing the Mainstreaming of Millet in Odisha’s Agrifood System was launched.
- Patent Recognition – Certificates were distributed to staff from the ICRISAT Development Center, who contributed to creating the solar-powered water hyacinth harvester.
- Plant Health Detector App Launch – Research Program Director Resilient Farm and Food Systems Dr ML Jat introduced a new digital tool designed to assist farmers in diagnosing plant health issues, improving crop productivity.
Farmer and Entrepreneur Experience Sharing
Farmers Mr SS Shinde (Latur, Maharashtra) spoke of his long association with ICRISAT and the improved yields in his fields from using improved varieties over the years.
Mr Ashish Upadhyay (Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh) shared their experiences on ICRISAT's work in his region, turning abandoned farms into productive farms. "ICRISAT mane kheti ki guarantee," he said, roughly translating to 'ICRISAT is a guarantee for farming.'
Additionally, incubates from the Agribusiness Innovation Platform, Ms Annapurna Sastry and Mr Harsha Krishna, discussed their entrepreneurial journeys in the agribusiness sector. While Ms Annapurna talked about her products being sent to remote tribal areas during the COVID-19 lockdowns, Ms Krishna spoke about the technical validation and international connections he procured through ICRISAT for his start-up, Jiva Waters.
MoU Signing
ICRISAT formalized its collaboration with Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Ltd. (BBSSL), New Delhi, by exchanging a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
"Seeds are the foundation of agricultural transformation. By collaborating with research institutions like ICRISAT, we ensure that high-yielding, high-quality seeds reach smallholder farmers, empowering them with the tools to enhance productivity and resilience. Prosperity through cooperation is our motto,” said Mr M Yogendra, Chairman of BBSSL.
Mr Kunal Sarkar, Director-Human Resources, ICRISAT, delivered the Vote of Thanks, concluding the celebrations.
Engaging Activities and Community Outreach
The Foundation Day celebrations extended beyond discussions, featuring several interactive engagements:
- DG's Meet & Greet with Farm Workers and Work Contractors
- Inauguration of the Centre for Pre-Breeding
- Campus Tour for 600 School Children, fostering future agricultural scientists.
- Press Interaction with the DG: Regional units of the National TV Doordarshan and National Radio AIR, along with several media houses and TV stations, attended the briefing.
Looking Ahead
As ICRISAT embarks on its next chapter, it remains committed to leveraging cutting-edge science, innovative partnerships, and a people-centered approach to transform dryland agriculture. The 54th Foundation Day reaffirmed its role as a global leader in dryland research and a catalyst for change.
