The Assam Rural Infrastructure and Agricultural Services (ARIAS) Society, Government of Assam, has signed extension of collaboration with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) for transforming the rice-based agrifood systems in Assam under the World Bank funded Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project (APART).
The project focuses on promoting climate-resilient production and processing of prioritised agriculture and allied commodities, investment promotion, agri-entrepreneurship development, efficient marketing including market- intelligence and credit linkage.
IRRI provides technical support to the Assam Agricultural University and Department of Agriculture for implementing the rice value chain activities under the project.
The second phase of the IRRI-APART collaboration focuses on developing the rice value chain of Assam and strengthening technology flow through ICT- and GIS-enabled agro-advisory systems, knowledge dissemination, and catalysing adoption.
It aims to upgrade the rice value chain by supporting Farmer Producer Companies through business models and disseminating and scaling out sustainable, resource-efficient, and climate-smart technologies suited to rice-based systems of Assam.
