AP Govt signs MoC with Lowa Department of Agriculture
A memorandum of cooperation was signed between Government of Andhra Pradesh and Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, State of Iowa to promote research and development in the fields of science, agriculture and life sciences.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his delegation arrived at Des Moines, capital of Iowa. The Chief Minister visited the World Food Prize Foundation, which has a large painting of Gandhiji and George Washington Carver who was a prominent agricultural scientist from Iowa University. It was informed that both of them corresponded about diet and food and agriculture from 1929 to 1936. Signaling the importance the Chief Minister attaches to the agricultural sector in the State, the delegation will visit some farms in Iowa to study the best practices followed there.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that he is aware of the changes taking place in agriculture. “In the past grains used to be consumed predominantly but now the consumption of poultry, fish, meat and fruits has increased,” the Chief Minister said.
Referring to the signing of the MoC, the Chief Minister said that it would help in increasing the seed production and research, leading to increase in crop output.
He informed the gathering of the farmer producers’ organizations and water users association established in Andhra Pradesh. He said that the state is adapting a number of best practices from seeds to cultivation practices to storage and post production processes. He suggested that the MoC be implemented as early as possible.
He concluded saying that he is delighted to have this MoC in place and complimented the work being done by World Food Prize Foundation.
Mr. Bill Northey, Secretary of Agriculture of Iowa, welcoming Chief Minister said Iowa and Andhra Pradesh share a lot of similarities of which agriculture is one.
“Together we make a commitment today to collaborate to make farmers lives better, agricultural to fare better and to wipe out hunger from the world,” said Mr. Bill Northey.
Kenneth M. Quinn, President of the World Food Prize Foundation, Bill Northey, Secretary of Agriculture of Iowa, and CRAIG Hill director of World Food Prize Foundation, Mrs. Neeta Bushan, Consul General of India in Chicago and the delegation from Andhra Pradesh were present during the signing of the MoC.