UP-PRAGATI Accelerator Program:
KisanKraft Ltd, an agricultural firm based in Bengaluru, has joined the World Bank’s Water Resource Group’s (WRG) low methane rice project to promote direct seeded rice (DSR) in Uttar Pradesh.
- KisanKraft’s DSR varieties use less water, reduce the need for pesticides and fertilizers, and do not require stagnant water.
- The initiative is part of the UP-PRAGATI Accelerator program aiming to promote DSR cultivation on 250,000 hectares over the next five years, enhancing water efficiency and low-carbon practices.
- The Uttar Pradesh Program for Agricultural Transformation and Increased Incomes (UPPAP) aims to enhance agricultural advancements and boost incomes by promoting water-use efficiency and low-carbon practices through technological and institutional innovations.
- Launched by the Uttar Pradesh Multi-Stakeholder Platform, it is supported by the 2030 Water Resources Group (WRG) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
- Low Methane Rice Project (LMRP) is an initiative of the World Bank’s 2030 Water Resources Group (WRG), a multi-donor trust fund hosted by the World Bank Group.
- Direct Seeded Rice is a practice of sowing paddy which involves planting rice seeds directly into the field, instead of the traditional method of growing seedlings in nurseries and then transplanting them into the fields.
