New Delhi, 02 August (H.S.): The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has released Rs.8.22 crore to rice research institutions and rice-producing states as part of a benefit-sharing mechanism. The amount was generated after an international seed company used Indian rice varieties to develop and commercially market hybrid seeds. The distribution is regarded as one of the largest single benefit-sharing payouts for rice to date.

According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Rs.2.47 crore of the total amount has been allocated to research institutions that conserved and shared the rice varieties. Of this, the ICAR–Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad, has received Rs.2.43 crore, while Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Uttarakhand, has been allocated Rs.3.26 lakh.

The ministry stated that Rs.5.75 crore has been distributed among 33 State Biodiversity Boards and Union Territory Biodiversity Councils. The allocation has been made on the basis of the rice cultivation area recorded on the Integrated Portal of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare.

Uttar Pradesh has received the highest allocation of more than Rs.73 lakh. Other states among the top ten beneficiaries include West Bengal, Telangana, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, and Andhra Pradesh.

The allocated funds will be used by research institutions to strengthen seed conservation, germplasm preservation, scientific research, and capacity-building programmes. State Biodiversity Boards and Biodiversity Councils will utilise the funds for conserving local crop diversity, restoring ecosystems, documenting traditional knowledge, and supporting farmers and traditional knowledge holders.

The NBA said it has so far received nearly Rs.83 crore as benefit-sharing proceeds from the agriculture and seed sector. Across all sectors, the Authority has distributed more than Rs.162 crore under the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) framework.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar