NBA releases Rs 8.22 crore to rice research institutions and rice-growing States
New Delhi, August 2
The National Biodiversity Authority has released Rs 8.22 crore to three research institutions and 33 State Biodiversity Boards and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils, marking one of the largest single access and benefit-sharing disbursements for rice.
According to a press release, the amount was received from Pioneer Overseas Corporation, an international seed company, for using Indian rice (Oryza sativa) varieties to develop and commercialise hybrids. The disbursement reflects India's commitment to ensuring fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilisation of the country's biological resources.
Of the total amount, Rs 2.47 crore has been released to research institutions that conserved and shared the rice varieties with the company. ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad, has received the largest share of Rs 2.43 crore, while Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Uttarakhand, has received Rs 3.26 lakh for the specific rice variety it contributed, the release said.
An amount of Rs 5.75 crore has been released to 33 State Biodiversity Boards and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils based on the rice-growing area of each State and Union Territory, as listed in the Unified Portal for Agricultural Statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Uttar Pradesh has received the highest share of over Rs 73 lakh. States and Union Territories with smaller rice-growing areas, such as Sikkim and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, have also received proportionate allocations.
As per the release, the top 10 State Biodiversity Board allocations are led by Uttar Pradesh with Rs 73,26,225, followed closely by West Bengal with Rs 64,94,795 and Telangana with Rs 50,59,674. Odisha follows in fourth place with an allocation of Rs 48,09,040, while Chhattisgarh and Punjab have been allocated Rs 45,90,940 and Rs 37,14,926, respectively. Rounding out the list, Bihar received Rs 36,93,237, Madhya Pradesh was allocated Rs 36,16,118, Assam received Rs 27,78,664, and Andhra Pradesh stands tenth with an allocation of Rs 25,88,278.
The research institutions will utilise the funds to strengthen germplasm conservation, maintain seed collections, and support research and training. The State Biodiversity Boards and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils will use their allocations for approved conservation activities, including protection of native crop diversity, ecosystem restoration, documentation of traditional knowledge, and support for local farmers and knowledge holders.
The NBA has so far received about Rs 83 crore in ABS payments from the agriculture and seed sector alone. Across all sectors, its total ABS disbursements have crossed Rs 162 crore, the release said.
By ensuring that benefits arising from the commercial use of India's biological resources are shared fairly with research institutions and States, the initiative contributes to Target 13 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which calls for fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilisation of genetic resources, including associated traditional knowledge. It also contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 15 (Life on Land), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), the release said.
The National Biodiversity Authority is a statutory body established under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It regulates access to India's biological resources and associated traditional knowledge and implements the Nagoya Protocol's principle of fair and equitable benefit-sharing.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Rs 8.22 crore is a good start, but I hope this money actually reaches the grassroots level. The state boards need to ensure that small farmers who have been preserving traditional rice varieties see tangible benefits. Too often, funds get stuck in bureaucracy 🤔
The fact that Uttar Pradesh got the highest share (Rs 73 lakh) makes sense - it's one of the largest rice producers. But I'm impressed that even smaller states like Sikkim got proportionate allocations. This is inclusive development! 👏
As someone from a farming family in Telangana, I know how important rice varieties are to our culture. It's reassuring that the NBA is serious about the ABS mechanism. But I'd love to see more transparency on how the money will be utilized for conservation activities.
It's encouraging to see India taking the Nagoya Protocol seriously. This sets a good precedent for other developing countries with rich biodiversity to demand fair compensation for genetic resources. The Rs 83 crore collected from the seed sector shows the potential.
Nice to see institutions like ICAR-IIRR in Hyderabad getting recognized. They've been silently working on preserving our rice germplasm for decades. Hopefully, this funding will help them expand their research and training programs for young scientists.
D Deepak U