Intl agri-biotech meet in Hyd in March '06

The Andhra Pradesh Industrial Development Corporation (APIDC), along with the All-India Biotech Association and other public and private organisations, is holding the first international conference on 'Biotechnology for sustainable agriculture and agro-industry' in Hyderabad from March 9-11, 2006.

The theme of the conference is broadly in line with the pro-agriculture initiatives of the state government, which aims to enhance productivity of crops while reducing the cost of cultivation and also through value-addition to uplift the overall financial position of farmers.

The objective of the conference is to provide a platform for scientists, farmers and the agri-biotech industry in the country to interact and collaborate with their counterparts in other parts of the world, according to N Indrasain Reddy, chairman of APIDC, and chairman of the organising committee of the event.

He said the state government intends to utilise the opportunities offered by biotechnology for the development of the agricultural sector besides encouraging the biotech industry in the state.

According to him, efforts are on to bring personalities like Robert Ziegler, director-general of International Rice Research Institute, Manila, who is known as the father of rice research, and Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug, whose name is associated with the green revolution.

The President of India is likely to inaugurate the event. The key topics of the conference include medicinal plants, vaccines and animal products, biofertilisers, biopesticides and biofuels, seed industry, and herbal healthcare products and industrial collaboration.

The other organisations participating in the three-day event include Federation of Asian Biotech Associations (FABA), Pragati Agri-Biotech, AP Netherlands Biotechnology Programme (APNLBP) and Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU).