TRA will soon firm-up a project with ICIMOD

Kolkata: The Tea Research Association (TRA), Tocklai, Jorhat, Assam, is to shortly firm-up a project with Nepal-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the leader in integrated mountain development through remote sensing.

“Early this year we visited ICIMOD in Nepal and we hope to finalise a project later this year,” said Mr C.S. Bedi, Chairman of TRA. The thrust of the project would be environment protection and community development, Mr Bedi said.

TRA, the Chairman pointed out, was also working closely with ITC Netherlands on areas of drainage and water harvesting technologies.

TRA’s recent MoU with the Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka, he said, was intended to carry out collaborative research on plant breeding, studies on maximum residue limits, biological control of pests and diseases, mechanisation of field and factory operations, development of software for better control of tea processing, development and improvement of existing tea machinery, development of chemical index of quality, studies on stress physiology to mitigate drought effects, development of water harvesting techniques and development of soil quality/ health index. “Research cannot be carried in isolation and I hope this collaborative effort will bring rich dividends to the tea industries of both the countries,” he observed.

Referring to the collaborative work TRA earlier initiated with Cranfield University, Nottingham, as also with the Kyoto University, Mr Bedi said the project with Kyoto University was nearing completion and the results would be known by May.