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
Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
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| Participants of the seventh CGIAR-CAC Program Steering Committee Meeting. |
The meeting was inaugurated by H.E. Mr Abbas Abbasov, First Vice Prime Minister of Azerbaijan and Chair of the Commission of Agrarian Reform. Mr Abbasov emphasized the commitment of the Azerbaijan Government to agricultural development and was pleased with the progress achieved through the CGIAR collaborative program, especially in varietal improvement and human resource development. Mr Abbasov also appreciated Azerbaijan’s inclusion in the ADB project on on-farm water and soil fertility management, and he hoped the meeting will add momentum to the ongoing efforts in sustainable agricultural research and development in Azerbaijan and other CAC countries.
Dr Asad Musaev, Director General, Agrarian Sciences Center, Azerbaijan, and Co-Chairman representing CAC region NARS, welcomed the participants and expressed his pleasure that Azerbaijan was chosen to host this meeting. During the opening session, statements were made by Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy, ICARDA Director General; Dr Jitendra Srivastava, Chairman, Executive Committee of the CGIAR Collaborative Program, and Dr Hubert Zandstra, Director General, CIP and Co-Chairman of the Steering Committee.
In his statement, Prof. El-Beltagy highlighted the role of enhanced regional and international research collaboration as well as the mobilization of additional resources for agricultural research and development. He also reaffirmed the commitment of the Consortium to continue finding ways to ensure sustainable agricultural development in the region.
Dr Raj Paroda, Head, PFU, presented highlights of the year’s achievements and emphasized the need for further strengthening the CGIAR program in CAC. Dr Geoff Hawtin, Interim Executive Secretary, Global Crop Diversification Trust, made a presentation entitled ‘GCDT: A Foundation for Food Security,’ in which he outlined the main strategy for building partnerships between the CAC region and the Trust, especially with regard to strengthening ex-situ collections of important crops covered under the FAO Treaty on genetic resources.
The presentations by all the Heads of CAC NARS highlighted the benefits from the collaborative research. Ten varieties of cereals and legumes have already been released and more than 40 new varieties are presently in the final stage of testing in different countries. The NARS representatives also appreciated the support received in the area of human resource development. The need to further strengthen the linkages between NARS and the international centers was emphasized in all reports. Presentations by different CG Centers on various collaborative activities highlighted the considerable progress made in 2003/2004.
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| Visit to the experimental site of the Research Institute of Agriculture where a promising chickpea line F 97-32C (from an ICARDA nursery) has been identified. | Visit to the experimental site of the Research Institute of Agriculture: Acad. Jalal Aliev (right) showing recently released winter wheat variety 'Azametly-95.' |
The Ministry of Agriculture organized a field visit on 6 June to showcase various research activities at the Research Institute of Agriculture and the Gobustan Experimental Station. Participants were particularly impressed with the performance of new varieties of winter wheat, ‘Azametly-95’ and ‘Nurlu-99,’ which were recently released under the collaborative wheat improvement program.
The Steering Committee unanimously decided to hold the next meeting at ICARDA headquarters in Aleppo, Syria, in May or June, 2005. Acad. Bobo Sanginov and Dr Ron Cantrell, DG of IRRI, were elected as Co-Chairpersons representing NARS and CG Centers, respectively.
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.