|
Farmers
Address CGIAR, Share Hopes and Perspectives
A "Farmers' Dialogue" held at the 2004
Annual General Meeting marked a major step forward in
strengthening CGIAR's ties with farmers and producers.
Six farmers from three continents participated in the
dialogue, the first of its kind with farmers sharing
their perspectives on agricultural research and its
impacts on livelihoods.
Farmers share their hopes
and perspectives on the impact of agricultural research
on their livelihoods.
Delphine Koudou Ahuissi, a rice farmer from
Côte d'Ivoire told the audience about how she has been
closely observing the different varieties of rice being
cultivated in her country, and the advantages offered
by the New Rices for Africa (NERICAs) developed by WARDA
and its partners. She is currently working with other
Ivorian farmers to promote NERICAs in the region.
Arun Kumar Bhakoo is a rice and wheat farmer
from Kahsipur, Uttaranchal Pradesh, India. He has a
farm in the foothills of the Himalayas and spoke of
his farming successes and failures, noting that declining
yields and soil health have reduced farmers' incomes.
He noted that new agricultural technologies from the
Rice-Wheat Consortium for Indo-Gangetic Plains (RWC)
were being enthusiastically adopted by farmers, and
that he and his fellow farmers now routinely participate
in RWC traveling seminars, interacting with other scientists,
extension workers, and machinery manufacturers. Mr.
Bhakoo is General Secretary of Krishak Manch, a farmers'
association.
Yulbek Kushmanov has a 25-acre farm in Uzbekistan
where he grows corn, cotton, and sunflowers. The farm
and its surrounding areas have experienced a range of
problems, including salinity, reduction of soil fertility,
non-availability of farm equipment, and farmers lack
of knowledge about new water-saving technology and strategies
for diversifying crop portfolios. Mr. Kushmanov thanked
ICARDA's Central Asia and Caucasus program and local
farmers for helping improve his farm's productivity.
Pedro Lopez Ignacio from San Pablo Huitzo in
Oaxaca, Mexico, spoke about his experiences in growing
different maize varieties and compared the benefits
of planting one type of maize versus another. He underlined
the importance of forages for the area's milk producers
and explained how his work with CIMMYT scientists helped
him to protect his maize crop from different pests.
Rodrigo Aveldaņo Salazar, a producer from Mexico
and promoter of technology spoke about the importance
of maize in Mexico, it's nutritional aspects and the
CIMMYT technologies that led to the development of Quality
Protein Maize (QPM).
Alejandro Delfino a producer from Argentina
and member of the CGIAR's Private Sector Committee spoke
about agriculture in his homeland, and the importance
of adopting new technologies including 'zero-plow' agriculture
to boost farm productivity while sustaining the natural
resource base. He also described how biotechnology was
being marshaled in Argentina to increase soybean area
and production.
In conversations, the farmers appreciated the opportunity
to address the CGIAR, meet scientists, and participate
in the Farmers Exchange. When asked how it felt to spend
a week in Mexico City, Pedro Lopez Ignacio replied:
"It's time now to go home and work. My hands are
getting soft."
|
