It has evolved a strategy for making India self-sufficient in production of pulses within three to five years and replicating India’s experience in dryland farming in sub-Saharan Africa.

Briefing mediapersons after the four day long 64th ICRISAT Governing Board meeting in New Delhi on Thursday, Chairman, Dr Nigel J Poole said : “India’s experience of watershed management can be replicated in Africa. Climate change has caused extreme weather conditions leading to droughts and increase in incidences of natural calamities. Water conservation and management is, therefore, critical for the survival of small and marginal farmers in the rainfed areas.”

ICRISAT is one the 15 institutes of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). ICRISAT is based in village Patencheru near Hyderabad, the state capital of Andhra Pradesh.

ICRISAT has used the sprawling farmland to develop improved varieties of peanuts and pigeonpeas. According to Dr Poole Malawi had problems of exporting peanuts to the European Union due to the presence of aflatoxin. ICRISAT has developed a fast, simple and affordable test kit for aflatoxin detection has helped the Malawi farmers and exporters. Tanzania which exports pigeonpeas can benefit by cultivating hybrid pigeonpea developed in ICRISAT Patencheru farms.

Dr Poole said “protein rich pulses and lentils are necessary for fighting malnutrition and the rural poor.”

The Governing Board has approved $56.3 million Budget for ICRISAT for the year 2011. US is the largest donar with a contribution of about $15 billion, followed by the European Union, including United Kingdom. India is the third largest donar

ICRISAT Director General, William D Dar said ; “contributions to ICRISAT has been increasing over the years. We should aim at target of $90 million for achieving the stupendous tasks ahead. Every $1 spent on international agricultural research leads to a return on investment of $9 worth of economic value in developing countries.”

Dr Dar said that ICRISAT’s research was guided by an inclusive market-oriented development strategy (IMOD) propelled by science with a human face – research not for its own sake, but dedicated to the poorest of the poor. He said that if the Indian government alongwith the state governments provide policy, marketing and logistic support, the country can become self sufficient in pulses with three to five years on the basis of ICRISAT’s research.

India imports about 3 million tonne pulses annually from Tanzania, Nairobi, Kenya, Australia, Canada and Myanmar. Dr Dar said : “ICRISAT has developed drought and heat tolerant and disease resistant pulses. These includes short duration ones maturing within 80 to 100 days and medium duration ones maturing within 100 to 120 days. These pulses can be cultivated in inter-cropping mode.”

He emphasized that ICRISAT has developed world’s first hybrid pigeonpea which can be used as a springboard for increasing productivity.

On helping the African farmers he said that the ICRISAT’s peanuts and pigeonpeas have benefitted farmers in Mozambique, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Tanzania and Uganda.

About 100,000 farmers in Ethiopia are now adopting improved land water management practices as an important component in capturing water for crop production. In cooperation with the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) and with funding commitment from the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), the watershed programme is now an ongoing horizontal partnership between India and Africa linked with a World Bank assisted water programme in Ethiopia.

ICRISAT had brainstorming session on pulses March 22 with the iCAR Institutes and state agriculture Universities (SAUs) which showcased the collaborative research partnership between India and ICRISAT in improving pulses production in the country. Over the last 34 years (1976-2009, 2010), 197 improved varieties of sorghum (35), pearl millet (80), chickpea (37), pigeonpea (20) and groundnut (26) have been released by ICRISAT with India, raising production and incomes of millions of smallholder farmers.

In India pulses are grown on about 23 million ha annually, with a production of 14 million tonne. In the current year the production peaked to 16 million tonne. However, there is still a gap of 3 million tonne for importation. This is the challenge that the brainstorming session hoped to address.

On March 23 a roundtable meeting was attended by senior officials and private entrepreneurs from India and African countries like Sudan, South Africa, Ethiopia, Zambia, Mali and Nigeria among others the ICRISAT Governing Board members, scientists and senior staff. Setting the tone at the meet, Director General of Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), S Ayyappan said India and the African continent should capitalize on common features like climate, soil, water and small land holdings in boosting agriculture.

Setting the wheel of implementing ICRISAT’s new Strategic Plan into full motion, the Governing Board also approved the Institute’s medium-term plan for 2011-13. The plan provides a three-year roadmap of specific actions to be taken by the Institute to pursue the targets of the Strategic Plan to 2020 and Business Plan 2011-15.