Patancheru, India and Dar es
Salaam, Mozambique
October 3, 2007
After establishing a successful
Agri-Business Incubator (ABI) at its global headquarters at
Patancheru, India, the
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
(ICRISAT) is initiating a similar incubator in Mozambique, in
collaboration with the Institute of Agricultural Research of
Mozambique (IIAM). Dr William Dar, Director General of ICRISAT,
and Dr Calisto Bias, Director General of IIAM, signed the Letter
of Intent for establishing the Farm Business Incubator in
Mozambique.
The collaboration will explore the possibilities for IIAM &
ICRISAT to develop the Farm Business Incubator together, share
best practices, transfer technology, support the development of
services or products in both regions or interact with the market
possibilities in Mozambique and India.
Dr William Dar, Director General of ICRISAT, who was on a visit
to Mozambique, said that by taking the idea of the Farm Business
Incubator to Mozambique, the Institute can carry forward to this
great African nation the successful lessons learned in India in
linking the poor dryland farmers to the market through
agri-enterprise.
ICRISAT and IIAM conducted a feasibility study in Mozambique and
developed a business model for the Farm Business Incubator at
IIAM. A key management team from IIAM had visited India recently
and studied the functioning of the Agri-Business Incubator at
ICRISAT.
When the Farm Business Incubator becomes a reality it will be
among the earliest of its kind in Africa and would have the
primary objective would to develop agri-enterprise that will
benefit Mozambique's agriculture, animal husbandry and food
processing.
ICRISAT, an international agricultural research institute under
the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
(CGIAR), has been collaborating with IIAM and other partners on
projects to improve agricultural productivity. Since 2001,
ICRISAT has had an office at Maputo.
The Agri-Business Incubator at ICRISAT, Patancheru, India, has
facilitated the transition of many agri enterprises from idea to
reality. One of the successful agri-business ideas facilitated
is the project on producing ethanol from sweet sorghum.
Research by ICRISAT scientists developed sorghum varieties and
hybrids that have higher amount of sugar-rich juice in their
stalks. Through the Agri-Business Incubator, ICRISAT linked with
a private sector company - Rusni Distilleries - which
established a distillery to convert the sweet sorghum juice to
ethanol.
Currently ICRISAT is helping a Rusni subsidiary company - Rusni
Biofuels Ltd. - to establish an ethanol from sweet sorghum plant
in Mozambique. This plant will produce 100,000 liters of ethanol
with an investment of around US$30 million, benefiting 5,000
smallholder farmers and cover 20,000 hectares through captive
and contract farming.
ICRISAT and Rusni will collaborate with Petromoc, the major
national petroleum company of Mozambique, to enhance
marketability and ensure successful implementation of project.
According to Dr Carlos Dominguez, ICRISAT's Representative in
Mozambique, the new collaborations agreed upon during Dr Dar's
visit to Mozambique will strengthen the existing collaboration
that ICRISAT has with partners.
ICRISAT's achievements in Mozambique include the development of
guidelines for planning local seed systems interventions;
creating the profile of the seed systems in place in the 58
districts of country; producing and marketing foundation seeds
of improved varieties; and helping the national agricultural
system to implement Good Agricultural Practices.
For further information, contact Dr Carlos Dominguez at
icrisatmoz@panintra.com |
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