ICARDA News

INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN THE DRY AREAS
P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria
Phone: (963-21) 2213433, 2213477, 2225112, 2225012
Fax: (963-21) 2213490, 2225105; E-mail: ICARDA@CGIAR.ORG
Website: www.icarda.cgiar.org
9 September 2004
For more information contact:
Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
Sudan's Minister of Science and Technology Meets with ICARDA Scientists
Dr Halila, Coordinator of NVRSRP, briefed the Sudanese Minister of Science and Technology,
H.E. Prof. Al-Zubair Bashir Taha, on ICARDA’s work in Sudan.
Four ICARDA scientists had the privilege of meeting Sudan's Minister of Science and Technology, H.E. Prof. Al-Zubair Bashir Taha, and other high-ranking officials of the Ministry on 23 August 2004. Drs Halila, Abdallah, Dessougi, and Ahmed briefed the Minister on the current status and future prospects of the collaboration between ICARDA and Sudan.

Dr Habib Halila, Coordinator of the Nile Valley and Red Sea Regional Program (NVRSRP), conveyed the regards of Prof. Adel El-Beltagy, ICARDA Director General, to the Minister and assured him of the Center's interest in collaborative research with Sudan. He pointed out that this interest is reflected in the number of ICARDA scientists participating in the Annual National Coordination meeting which was held on the following day. "This is the first time six scientists from the different programs attend a national coordination meeting," he said.

H.E. Prof. Taha welcomed the scientists and appreciated ICARDA's sustained efforts in Sudan, which grew significantly under the supervision of Prof. El-Beltagy. He expressed his desire to see the collaboration between Sudan and the Center strengthened and expanded to cover areas such as water harvest and management and the improvement of rangeland and pastures in the dry areas of Darfur and the eastern desert areas. H.E. Prof. Taha requested ICARDA's assistance in Sudan's effort to control the effects of Orobanche infestation in the nation, a problem that has grown serious enough to be discussed at the federal level.

About ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.cgiar.org) serves the entire developing world for the improvement of barley, lentil, and faba bean; and dry-area developing countries for the on-farm management of water, improvement of nutrition and productivity of small ruminants (sheep and goats), and rehabilitation and management of rangelands. In the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region, ICARDA is responsible for the improvement of durum and bread wheats, chickpea, pasture and forage legumes and farming systems; and for the protection and enhancement of the natural resource base of water, land, and biodiversity.

The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) (www.cgiar.org) is a strategic alliance of 62 members and 16 Future Harvest Centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote sustainable development by reducing hunger and poverty, improving human nutrition and health, and protecting the environment.
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