IRRI News

Bihar, India, June 2020 :

Bihar, the third-most populous state in eastern India, lies in the river plains of the river Ganga’s basin. Endowed with fertile alluvial soil and ground water resources, Bihar has a net sown area of 60% of its total geographical area under cultivation, where rice, wheat, and maize are the major cereal crops cultivated. Agriculture is at the core of the states’ economy, employing nearly 77 % of the workforce and generating 35 % of the state domestic product. With nearly 88% of the state’s poor living in rural areas, improving agricultural performance and related rural non-farm activity is critical for improving livelihoods and reducing poverty. The Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) is an initiative in this direction that has, since its launch in 2009, been trying to improve food security and farmers’ livelihoods.

CSISA : Partnering to provide sustainable solutions for small and marginal farmers

The Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) project launched in 2009, supported by BMGF and USAID, endeavours to reach over 8 million small and marginal farmers to improve agriculture yields and farmer’s income in a sustainable manner. A collaborative project, led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and jointly implemented by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), CSISA is a science-driven and impact-oriented regional initiative, aimed at increasing productivity of cereal-based cropping systems in India (Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha) Nepal and Bangladesh.

See more https://www.irri.org/news-and-events/news/convergence-platform-strengthen-collaborative-delivery-systems-bihar