Second Coordination Committee meeting in Agra charts how advanced technologies, quality seed systems and climate-resilient agriculture can reach farmers across Uttar Pradesh, India and South Asia
Senior policymakers, scientists and research leaders from across South Asia gathered in Agra on 21 August 2026 for the second meeting of the Coordination Committee of CIP’s South Asia Regional Centre (CSARC) — a milestone gathering that reaffirmed the Centre’s role as a hub for potato and sweetpotato research and innovation across the region.
The meeting was jointly chaired by Dr. Simon Heck, Director General, CIP, Peru, and Shri Atish Chandra, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW), Government of India. It was attended by Dr. Prabhat Kumar, Joint Secretary and Horticulture Commissioner, MoA&FW; Shri Babu Lal Meena, Additional Chief Secretary (Horticulture), Government of Uttar Pradesh; Dr. Hugo Campos, Deputy Director General, Science and Innovation, CIP; Dr. Yuvraj Bhusal, National Potato Research Programme, Nepal Agricultural Research Council; and Dr. Sudhanshu Singh, Director, CSARC, along with other senior officials and scientists. Mr. Yonten Gyamtsho, Director, Department of Agriculture, Bhutan, and Mr. Mostafa Kamal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Bangladesh, joined the meeting virtually.
CSARC envisioned as a regional hub for potato and sweetpotato
A major focus of the meeting was CSARC’s international and regional role. Participants emphasised that the Center should not be viewed simply as a research facility serving Agra or India, but should grow into a leading South Asian platform for research, innovation and knowledge sharing on potato and sweetpotato.
Located in Agra, CSARC can serve as an important bridge between India’s strong scientific and agricultural capabilities and the needs and experiences of countries across South Asia. The Center will not only help take technologies and solutions developed in India to neighbouring countries, but also learn from local innovations and successful practices across the region and adapt them for wider use.
In this context, South-South Cooperation was identified as an important part of CSARC’s future role. Participants called for stronger partnerships with agricultural research institutions in Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and other South Asian countries to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, germplasm, technologies, scientific expertise and human resources.
World-class research with practical solutions for farmers
The meeting emphasised the need to develop CSARC as a modern, multidisciplinary and world-class research and innovation platform, with a strong focus on practical outcomes for farmers. The central message was clear: advanced science must translate into solutions that farmers can use and benefit from in their fields.
Priority areas identified include improved and climate-resilient varieties, quality seed systems, modern production technologies, disease diagnostics, biofortification, digital agriculture, sustainable production, and market- and value chain-oriented technologies.
Shri Atish Chandra, Secretary, MoA&FW, said CSARC could play an important role in India’s national efforts to make agriculture more productive, technology-driven, market-oriented and globally competitive. He stressed that the real value of research is realised only when it moves from the laboratory to the farmer’s field and makes a meaningful difference to productivity, income and livelihoods.
He also highlighted the need to focus on climate-resilient, market-oriented and nutritionally enhanced potato and sweetpotato varieties, modern seed systems and sustainable production technologies. Strong partnerships among research institutions, agricultural universities, state governments, the private sector and development partners, he said, would be essential to achieving these goals.
From Agra to a national and regional research network
The strategic importance of establishing CSARC in Agra was also discussed. Uttar Pradesh is one of India’s major potato-producing states, while Agra itself is an important potato-growing region. This gives CSARC a strong opportunity to connect local and national priorities with a wider South Asian research agenda, and the Committee emphasised the importance of developing it as a regional Center of Excellence for potato and sweetpotato research, innovation and knowledge sharing.
Shri Atish Chandra suggested that CSARC should build on its ongoing work and partnerships in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Haryana and Odisha, while expanding its activities to other major potato and sweetpotato-producing regions, including Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. The aim would be to create a broad national network through CSARC, connecting states through collaborative research, technical cooperation and knowledge sharing.
At the regional level, the Committee also called for stronger institutional partnerships with South Asian countries, and for CSARC to facilitate joint research, technical cooperation, capacity building and regional programmes.
Renewing the CIP–ICAR partnership
The meeting also highlighted the opportunity for CSARC to take the more than five-decade partnership between CIP and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) into a new and more impactful phase.
The partnership can be further strengthened in areas such as advanced breeding, genomics, biotechnology, modern seed systems, disease diagnostics, climate-smart agriculture, biofortification and capacity building. The collaboration will also create greater opportunities to share India’s scientific and technological strengths with countries across South Asia and beyond.
Reviewing progress and setting the way forward
The Committee reviewed the progress made since the establishment of CSARC, including the development of infrastructure, scientific programmes, human resources, partnerships and the research portfolio. Discussions also covered budgets, resources and emerging operational requirements.
The Committee was presented with the 2025–26 research, outreach and training programmes, the 2026–31 Research and Development Plan, and the 2026–27 Annual Work Plan. Members provided valuable guidance on CSARC’s future direction, research priorities, partnerships and institutional development, with a strong emphasis on ensuring that the Center remains responsive to the emerging needs of farmers, national priorities and the wider South Asian region.
A strong platform for South-South Cooperation
The Committee agreed on the importance of positioning CSARC as an active, practical and results-oriented platform for South-South Cooperation in South Asia. The focus will go beyond technology transfer to include joint research, scientific training, exchange of germplasm and knowledge, capacity building and collaborative innovation.
The vision is to create a platform where countries learn from each other, work together to develop solutions and take successful innovations to farmers at scale. Such cooperation can bring together not only research institutions, but also scientists, agricultural universities, governments, the private sector and farmers.
Members expressed confidence that CSARC could, in the coming years, emerge as an effective link “from research to farms, farms to markets, and India to South Asia,” helping move knowledge and technology across borders. Ultimately, the Center aims to contribute to higher farmer productivity and incomes while strengthening food and nutrition security, sustainable agriculture and climate resilience across the region.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to develop CSARC as a leading regional Center of Excellence, supported by strong national and international partnerships, clear research priorities and sustained collective efforts.
MoU signed for 10 hectares of land for the CSARC farm
At the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the National Horticulture Board (NHB) and CSARC, formalising the documentation for the use of 10 hectares of land for the CSARC farm. The MoU was signed by Shri Kapil Meena, Managing Director, National Horticulture Board, and Dr. Simon Heck, Director General, International Potato Center. The agreement provides a firm foundation for the Center’s research, demonstration and training activities in Agra.
Visit to the CSARC farm
Following the meeting, members of the CSARC Coordination Committee visited the CSARC farm at Singna, Agra. The visit was led by Shri Pradeep Sharma, Executive Director, NBCC. The members were briefed on the progress of construction and infrastructure development at the CSARC campus, as well as the facilities being developed to support the Center’s future research programmes, and reviewed the infrastructure being put in place for upcoming scientific and research activities. The visit gave Committee members an opportunity to see first-hand the progress being made towards establishing CSARC as a modern regional research and innovation center for potato and sweetpotato.
About CIP
The International Potato Center (CIP) is a research-for-development organization and a CGIAR research center, headquartered in Lima, Peru. CIP delivers science and innovation on potato, sweetpotato and other root and tuber crops through a global network of public and private sector partners across Africa, Asia and Latin America.
About CSARC
The CIP South Asia Regional Centre (CSARC), based in Agra, India, serves as CIP’s hub for advancing root and tuber crop research, seed systems and capacity development across South Asia, in partnership with national governments and research institutions in the region.