News
EXPERT CONSULTATION ON RESEARCH NEED ASSESSMENT IN CAC REGION
Date: 2008-09-15 12:33:45
Expert Consultation meeting to assess the needs and establish priorities for agricultural research in Central Asia and the Caucasus was organized jointly by CACAARI, GFAR, and ICARDA on 7-9 March, 2007 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The meeting was attended by more that 70 participants, inclu ding NARS leaders, Government officials, senior representatives of CG centers and other international organizations, universities, non-governmental and farmer organizations, as well as UNCCD Focal Points from Central Asia. The meeting was inaugurated by Dr Mahmoud Solh, Director General, ICARDA, and Chairman, Alliance Executive for CAC region, who thanked the participants for attending this important meeting and hoped the needs assessment would be conducted as a “realistic, bottom-up initiative”. He was happy that CACAARI, although still a young organization, is taking a dynamic leadership in setting agricultural research priorities for the region, supported by GFAR, ICARDA and PFU-CGIAR, and assured continued support to this important regional forum. Mr. Gofur Aliev, chairman of Agriculture, Water Resources and Ecology Committee of the Senate of the Republic of Uzbekistan, in his opening statement, thanked the participants for their valuable contribution towards the development of agricultural science in Uzbekistan and in the region, and wished all the success in their work. Dr Raj Paroda, Head, PFU-CGIAR, and Regional Coordinator, ICARDA-CAC, thanked the host government for their good support to the Program activities and particularly, in organizing this meeting.
During the technical sessions of the meeting, representatives of international organizations, including FAO and IFPRI-ISNAR, as well as the global and regional fora, including GFAR, APAARI and AARINENA, made presentations on their experiences in priority setting, providing insights relevant and valuable to the CAC region. They were followed by the NARS leaders of all the eight countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus, who presented their reports on the existing national and regional agricultural research priorities. A brainstorming session was held in order to revisit these priorities and adequately address the emerging challenges both at national and regional levels. Three discussion groups, covering genetic resource management, natural resources management and socioeconomic, policy research and capacity building, analyzed the existing research gaps and came up with suggestions and recommendations to better address the emerging challenges and build on the previous achievements. The priorities highlighted are: capacity building and knowledge transfer, germplasm enhancement, including the use of biotechnology, combating land degradation, especially for improving soil fertility and water use efficiency, plant and animal genetic resources, livestock management and health, socioeconomic and policy research, linking farmers to market, post harvest management, strengthening of the regional forum CACAARI, and others.
Regional Brainstorm meeting for Transforming and Strengthening of Agricultural Research and Innovation Systems in Central Asia and Caucasus
Tashkent, 29-30 November, 2011
Samarqand, 01-03 December, 2011
Dr. Oleg Shatberashvili is presenting the current status of the RAIS in the CAC more» 
