India, Philippines sign MoU

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between India and the Philippines for cooperation in agriculture and related fields on February 3, 2006.

President A P J Abdul Kalam, who was on a three-nation tour to the Philippines, Singapore and South Korea, handed over the foundation seeds of improved peanut and sweet sorghum developed by the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat) to Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

According to Icrisat director-general William D Dar, the event marks a significant milestone in Icrisat's partnership-based research with the Presidents of the two countries strengthening the bond.

Icrisat's large seeded peanut variety, ICGV 86564, and eight promising sweet sorghum varieties were shared with the Los Banos-based Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Research and Development for testing in the first phase of the Cereals and Legumes Asia Network programme, said a press release.