Indian seed producer to bring technologies to Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — An Indian seed production firm is eyeing to bring its new agricultural technologies to the Philippines following its meeting with Agriculture Secretary William Dar.

In a statement, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Dar, along with the agency’s delegation to India, visited Prasad Seeds Private Ltd. (PSPL) in Telangana, India on Saturday.

During the visit, PSPL president Karumanchi Prasad presented the projects and innovations of the seed company.

“The Prasad group expressed its intention of bringing its new systems and technologies to the Philippines to aid and support Filipino farmers and local agribusinesses,”the DA said.

Aside from seed production, PSPL is also engaged in processing and value-adding of various agricultural commodities like carrots, okra, pineapple, and mangoes among others.

The global seed producer and processor holds a base in Pangasinan for high-quality corn seeds,” the DA said.

In line with this, Dar instructed Planters Products Inc. president Mat Maderazo to discuss a possible marketing partnership with PSPL, to expand the company’s presence in the Philippines thereby creating more job opportunities and securing improved production in agriculture.

During the meeting, Dar also congratulated the Indian company for pursuing innovative actions, which include smart technology and precision farming. PSPL also stepped up its drive for an efficient food value chain system by establishing more cold storage and warehouse facilities in their bases.

Apart from PSPL, the DA is also eyeing to work with the India-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) for agricultural research aimed at boosting the competitiveness of the country’s food production sector.

“(The) DA and ICRISAT are set to collaborate on various missions focused on agricultural research and other studies for a more developed and competitive food production sector,” the DA said.

ICRISAT is a leading, international scientific research for development organization, specializing in improving dryland farming and agri-food systems.