Norwegian Minister of Agriculture & Food visits ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi on February 15, 2017

H.E. Mr. Jon Georg Dale, Norwegian   Minister of Agriculture and Food visited ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi on February 15, 2017. He was accompanied by Mr. Margrethe Dysjaland, Political Advisor; Ottar Lovik, Head of Communication; Henrik Einevoll, Deputy Director General; Ann Margaret Groundahl, Senior Advisor, Nils H. Vagstad, Director General; Udaya Sekhar Nagothu, Director International Department; Ragnar Vaga Pedersen, Director of Communications; Lars-Ludvig Roed, Freelance Journalist; Nils Ragnar Kamsvag, Ambassador; Mr. Arild Oksnevad, Counsellor and Mr. Suresh Mathevan, Advisor.
As per e-mail dated January 9, 2016 from Mr. Asmund Asdal, Svalbard Global Seed Vault Coordinator,   NordGen is interested that India should deposit important germplasm at Svalbard Seed Vault as safety duplicates. Department of Agricultural Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Govt. of India, has already approved the deposition of 100 accessions each of rice and sorghum germplasm for safe deposition at Svalbard Seed Vault, Norway in addition to 25 accessions of pigeonpea deposited in April 2014.
A visit of delegation of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Govt. of India, is scheduled from February 24-27, 2017 to Svalbard Global Seed Vault. During the visit, deposition of seeds of rice and sorghum accessions from ICAR-NBPGR would be made.