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
25 November 2004
For more information contact:
Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
Seed Potato Production Training in Afghanistan
Practical and theoretical sessions of seed potato production training in Bamyan, Afghanistan.
The most dominant vegetable crop in Afghanistan used to be the potato with 15% of 90,000 hectares sown to it. More recently, however, potato production has declined in Afghanistan, despite the country’s congenial climactic conditions. As part of their efforts to rebuild Afghanistan’s agricultural systems, ICARDA and CIP are working with growers and NGOs to provide training in various aspects of potato production.

ICARDA and Solidarite, a French NGO, organized two training courses on “Seed Potato Production.” The first training course for the Agricultural Directorate’s technical staff and Solidarite’s agro team was held on 28-30 August, and was followed by another two-day training course for potato growers from the various districts of Bamyan Province. This province is especially suitable for producing quality seed because of its altitude and climate. More than 3000 hectares is sown to potato in Bamyan.

A total of 42 participants attended the courses which were held at the Solidarite Office in Bamyan. The lectures covered integrated crop and disease management, the major soil- and seed-borne diseases in Afghanistan, post-harvest management, and the introduction and evaluation of potato varieties. The participants also visited potato fields for practical implementation of improved agronomic techniques and identification of disease and insect symptoms. The highlights of the courses were broadcast on Bamyan-Radio and Radio Azadi.

An Integrated Crop Management (ICM) training course on potato was held on 19 October 2004 in Nangarhar Province by CIP and ICARDA. Mr Ismail Dolat Zai, Deputy Agriculture Director, Nangarhar, and Dr Kenneth Neil, Chief Economist, USAID-RAMP inaugurated the course. A total of 64 participants including farmers, extension officers, researchers from the Sheesham Bagh station in Jalalabad, NGO representatives from IF-Hope, Relief International, GIA, MADERA, AREA, and reporters attended the course. Mr Moeen ud Din Siraj, Project Coordinator, and Mr Lal Mohammad, site coordinator in Nangrahar, were resource persons.

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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