The
ability to increase and share knowledge is the most basic
component necessary for human progress. As the conflict in
Afghanistan spanned decades, this ability was eroded. Professionals
left to find jobs in other countries and those that remained
were isolated from their peers and progress. Human capacity
building became an important focus for the FHCRAA and a training
component was inserted into every project. Afghan researchers,
staff from MOAL, agricultural university faculty members,
and farmers have been trained in seed production and multiplication,
seed enterprise development, variety management, integrated
pest management, operation and management of experimental
stations, use of field equipment, fertilizer and pesticide
application, meteorological equipment/station operation, management
of water resources and improvement of water-use efficiency,
advanced radio production, agricultural journalism, protected
agriculture, and computer technology. Since 2002, ICARDA has
trained more than 1000 Afghan farmers through a series of
headquarters and non-headquarters training courses.
 |
Afghanistan
researchers participate in a water
management training course at ICARDA. |
In September 2004, ICARDA and the Japanese International Cooperation
Agency (JICA) signed a 5-year agreement for training in Afghanistan.
This "Third Country Training Program" aims to strengthen
agricultural research and human resource development by organizing
training courses and workshops in a variety of topics including
cereal and legume crop improvement; agricultural information
management; experimental design and data analysis, forage
and pasture seed production; liberalization of the national
seed sector; and participatory plant breeding. A workshop
on seed policy and regulatory reform was held in February
2005 as part of this project.
 |
In
the presence of Dr Mohan Saxena (right), ADG (At-Large),
Mr Kazuhide Nagasawa (second from right), JICA Regional
Representative in Syria, and Dr William Erskine (center),
ADG (Research), exchange signed copies of the Third
Country Training Program agreement for Afghanistan. |
|
|
|
|