The 21st Symposium on Plantation Crops organized by ICAR and IISR, India was inaugurated by Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, Founder Chairman and Chief Mentor, MS Swaminathan Research Foundation. The symposium provided a forum for interaction among scientists, industry, and extension and development agencies engaged in plantation crops research and development. More than 350 delegates from India and abroad, representing different organizations, agro-industry, farmers, extension, trade associations and policy makers in the plantation crops sector participated in the symposium focusing on the theme on "Converging technologies for sustainability". The Executive Director of IPC was among the international speakers at the Symposium. Mr. Gunaratne presented a paper on ÔÇ£Productivity Improvement of Pepper; a challenge for the Traditional pepper producing CountriesÔÇØ. The presentation covered the reasons behind the low productivity and how to overcome that to get the maximum out of available opportunities
Dr. M. Anandaraj (Director, IISR, India, 2nd from left)
with other VVIPs during the Inauguration of the symposium.