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: http://www.icarda.cgiar.org

24 October 2002
For more information contact:S.Varma@cgiar.org
Afghan Head of State Receives Director General

Afghanistan's President, H.E. Mr Hamid Karzai, received ICARDA Director General Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy at the presidential offices in Kabul on 7 October.
    Welcoming the DG, H.E. Mr Karzai said he had been briefed on the work of the ICARDA-led Future Harvest Consortium to Rebuild Agriculture in Afghanistan and was pleased with the progress being made.
    Prof. Dr El-Beltagy made a presentation on ICARDA, its regional mandate, and the Future Harvest Consortium. This was followed by a discussion on water issues and climate change.
    Many countries in Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA), including Afghanistan, are below the water poverty line.
    Water is very scarce in Afghanistan, and "we must
use every single drop of water," the Director General said.
H.E. Mr Hamid Karzai (right), President of Afghanistan, discusses the status of agriculture in his country and the work of the Future Harvest Consortium to Rebuild Agriculture in Afghanistan during a meeting with ICARDA Director General Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy in Kabul on 7 October.
    "On-farm water-use efficiency is very important, as is the use of drought tolerant crops and varieties," he said.
    "Water is indeed very important for us. We are at risk. We welcome your work and support your activities," H.E. Mr Karzai responded.
    Afghanistan's Minister of Agriculture, H.E. Mr Sayed Hussain Anwari, and the Minister of Irrigation participated in the meeting. Also representing ICARDA were Dr Tony van Gastel, Head of the Seed Unit, and Dr Nasrat Wassimi, Executive Manager of the Future Harvest Consortium.
Afghan Minister of Foreign Affairs Applauds ICARDA's Efforts
Afghan Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Dr Abdullah Abdullah, received Director General Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy at the Foreign Ministry in Kabul on 7 October.
    The Director General explained ICARDA's mission, mandate, and working areas.
    “Afghanistan is part of our working region and ICARDA has a long-term commitment to assist the relevant ministries in rebuilding a vibrant agricultural sector in the country,” Prof. Dr El-Beltagy said.
    The work of the Future Harvest Consortium to Rebuild Agriculture in Afghanistan was explained, with emphasis on support to the Ministry of Agriculture to set up a sustainable regulatory system for seed (code of conduct, draft national seed policy, draft seed law), which will enable the government to carry out its tasks in the area of policy setting and quality control (seed, fertilizer, pesticides).
    The public role of quality control was stressed by the Director General and reaffirmed by H.E. the Minister. Markets and the importance of job opportunities were discussed in relation to the Future Harvest Consortium's horticultural needs assessment.

From right, Afghan Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Dr Abdullah Abdullah, discusses the work of the Future Harvest Consortium to Rebuild Agriculture in Afghanistan with Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy, ICARDA Director General; Dr Tony van Gastel, Head of ICARDA's Seed Unit; and Dr Nasrat Wassimi, Executive Manager of the Consortium, at the Foreign Ministry in Kabul on 7 October.
    "We are hoping that we can make a difference," Prof. Dr El-Beltagy said.
     The Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed the importance of stability and rural development as key elements of the current problems.
    "ICARDA can help a lot in capacity building, as well as in other areas," H.E. Dr Abdullah said.
    "ICARDA can help coordinate with others and bring in other cooperators. I am delighted to hear that you have a comprehensive program, and my office is prepared to help," he said.
    Also at the meeting from ICARDA were Dr Tony van Gastel, Head of the Seed Unit; and Dr Nasrat Wassimi, Executive Manager of the Consortium.
Research Tops Agenda in Meeting with Afghan Minister of Agriculture
Research was on the top of the agenda when Afghan Minister of Agriculture and Livestock H.E. Mr Sayed Hussain Anwari and Deputy Minister H.E. Mr Mohammad Sharif received ICARDA Director General Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy at the Ministry of Agriculture in Kabul on 6 October.
    The importance of rehabilitating Afghanistan’s research capability was emphasized, while the importance of investment in agriculture, credit, and strengthening of cooperatives was also stressed. All Ministry department heads took part in the meeting.
    The Minister thanked ICARDA for spearheading the reconstruction of agriculture in Afghanistan. The Director General thanked the Minister and his staff for the very warm welcome and the friendliness of the Afghan people.
H.E. Mr Sayed Hussain Anwari (second from right), Afghan Minister of Agriculture and Livestock; and H.E. Mr Mohammad Sharif (right), Deputy Minister, meet with Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy (second from left), and Dr Tony van Gastel at the Ministry offices on 6 October.
    ICARDA is the lead Center of the Future Harvest Consortium to Rebuild Agriculture in Afghanistan, which trucked high quality seed from Pakistan to Afghanistan in time for spring planting in 2002 and coordinated the production of high quality seed in Afghanistan in time for fall planting. The Consortium has also conducted several needs assessments, which will form the basis for ongoing rehabilitation efforts.
    The Director General said that much has been accomplished in a very short time, but more remains to be done.
    The importance of the private sector was stressed, but policy, regulation, basic research, and quality control must remain a public function, Prof. Dr El-Beltagy said. In this connection, the importance of the seed sector’s code of conduct (developed in a workshop convened by the Consortium) and seed health testing and quarantine were emphasized. The Director General noted that equipment for seed testing had recently arrived in the country.
    Prof. Dr El-Beltagy presented the Minister a draft national seed policy and draft seed law, developed by the Future Harvest Consortium members, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.
    Other issues discussed included: training staff in seed testing and seed health; and rehabilitation of research stations, including seed health testing laboratories. After the meeting, the Director General toured the research department, including the soil laboratory and the library.
FAO and ICARDA Discuss Ongoing Cooperation in Afghanistan
An ICARDA delegation, headed by Director General Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy, visited the Kabul office of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to discuss ongoing cooperation within Afghanistan with Mr H. Carsalade, Deputy Director General, FAO; Mr H. Hakim, FAO Resident Representative; Mr S. Verniau, in-coming FAO Resident Representative; and Mr H. Konuma, Chief, Regional Policy Assistance Branch, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.
    Mr Carsalade spoke about FAO's mission and updated the ICARDA delegation on FAO's program in Afghanistan.
    Prof. Dr El-Beltagy expressed appreciation for FAO's work in Afghanistan; FAO continued to operate in the country throughout the years of civil conflict. He then updated the group on the work of the Future Harvest Consortium to Rebuild Agriculture in Afghanistan.
    Dr Carsalade and Prof. Dr El-Beltagy said they looked forward to continued cooperation in rebuilding
At a meeting in the FAO office in Kabul are, from left, Dr Nasrat Wassimi, Executive Manager of the ICARDA-led Future Harvest Consortium to Rebuild Agriculture in Afghanistan, based in Kabul; Mr H. Carsalade, Deputy Director General, FAO; Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy, ICARDA Director General; Mr S. Verniau, in-coming FAO Resident Representative, Afghanistan; Dr Tony van Gastel, Head, ICARDA Seed Unit; Mr H. Konuma, Chief, Regional Policy Assistance Branch, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific; and Mr Abdul Rahman Manan, Chief Advisor, Future Harvest Consortium.
Deputy Minister of Irrigation, Director General Discuss Water-use Efficiency
Director General Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy met with the H.E. Dr Pir Mohammad Azizi, Deputy Minister of Irrigation, Water Resources and Environment, Afghanistan, in Kabul on 6 October.
    The Director General briefed the Deputy Minister on the soil and water needs assessment being carried out by the Future Harvest Consortium to Rebuild Agriculture in Afghanistan.
    Water-use efficiency was discussed. The Deputy Minister concurred that every drop of water in Afghanistan must be used as efficiently as possible. Snowfall has been low in recent years, glaciers are melting, the water table is going down and recharge is low (approximately 15%). Too many tube wells are dug. Kareses (underground water channels) are drying up, and are often not maintained.
    In Afghanistan, the responsibility for water is distributed among ministries. The Director General suggested that on-farm use of water should be the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture, whereas the Ministry of Irrigation should handle water budgeting. The Ministry of Irrigation should look at bigger issues, such as "who uses what and how much," and develop a master plan based on hydrological survey, Prof. Dr El-Beltagy said.
ICARDA Delegation Makes Fact-finding Tour
The ICARDA delegation and national agricultural research system partners tour the countryside near Kabul. The bombed-out building in the background is an old palace, which is next to a damaged agricultural research station.
From left, Dr Nasrat Wassimi, Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy, and Dr Tony van Gastel outside ICARDA's office in Kabul.
Dr Tony van Gastel, Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy, and Mr Abdul Rahman Manan, Chief Advisor, Future Harvest Consortium, tour war-torn Kabul.

ICARDA's (www.icarda.org) mission is to improve the welfare of people and alleviate poverty through research and training in dry areas of the developing world by increasing production, productivity, and nutritional quality of food, while preserving and enhancing the natural resource base. ICARDA is a Future Harvest Center.

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

The Future Harvest Consortium to Rebuild Agriculture in Afghanistan is a multi-partner effort led by the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA) and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). More information on the Future Harvest Consortium to Rebuild Agriculture in Afghanistan can be found at: www.futureharvest.org

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the government agency providing U.S. economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years (www.USAID.gov).

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