The Hindu Business Line : Icrisat plans to launch social marketing

THE International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat) is making a concerted effort to initiate social marketing strategies to attract funds from development investors, to tap private sector and non-traditional funding sources and also to become self-sustained financially by using its infrastructure and knowledge base.

"We have to go to social marketing to identify assets of the institute that could be further developed to generate some revenues for Icrisat. This is an approach to focus on key products for development,'' the Icrisat Director-General, Dr William D. Dar, said in a press release.

Icrisat has identified nine assets for further development. Among them are:

Science/ biotech park : Icrisat will build joint venture projects that assist start-up biotech companies to establish a service platform that will fuel a strong and dynamic agri-business.

— set up community information centres for people empowerment.

Novel food products/ novel traits: Icrisat will pioneer uncommon or non-raditional use of food products.

Watersheds: Icrisat, along with partners in local government institutions, has developed a new model for developing and managing watersheds sustainably.

Seed systems: This initiative, chiefly designed for Africa, involves identifying and supporting viable markets for seeds.

Africa market gardens: Another Africa centric initiative, these gardens are designed to make the most of extremely poor farming conditions.

Village level studies: These studies are stated to be in demand globally.

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