In a visit by the CEO of Indian Durga Seeds to Razavi Seed and Sapling Institute, the two sides agreed to cooperate in the transfer of Germplasm (plant parts useful in crop breeding, research, and conservation efforts) in order to produce durable and productive hybrid seeds, commercial cooperation and training of skilled human resources.

“In the meeting and numerous talks we had with Durga Seeds, the Indian center has agreed to transfer the germplasm of different farm produce such as tomatoes, pepper, eggplants, etc. to our institute”, said Mohammad Hashemzade, CEO of Razavi Seed and Sapling Institute.

Citing the seeds compatibility test as the first step of the MoU, Hashemzade noted that “after investigating the competitiveness of these seeds against the highly productive ones in the market, we will go for them if they are more efficient, pest- and disease-resistant”.

He continued that the qualified seeds would be supposed to be jointly mass-produced with the Indian side and enter commercial phase.

For his part, Karan Mahajan, CEO of Durga Seeds, thanked Imam Reza shrine for paving the way for the Indian center to visit Razavi Seed and Sapling Institute, saying that fields for mutual technological cooperation were evident in his two-day visit. “It is agreed, therefore, that we will transfer productive germplasm for hybrid seeds and hybrid seeds units to the Iranian center in the near future”.

Elsewhere in the meeting, Seyyed Hossein Ne’mati, Chairman of the Board of Razavi Seed and Sapling Institute, called Iran and India two big markets for the consumption of hybrid seeds, adding that the two countries “have rich germplasm, so mutual cooperation in producing hybrid and imported seeds will be beneficial to both sides”.

Ne’mati believed that implementing the MoU would free Iran from the monopoly of imported seeds from the West, particularly the US.