International Consultation on Agricultural Research for Development and Innovation: Addressing emerging challenges and exploiting opportunities through Information and Communication Technologies, 7-11 December, Hyderabad, India,

Press release

“Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has immense potential in empowering farming communities, and it should be put to greater use by the agricultural research and extension institutions. Unfortunately, till now ICT is not given the due importance it deserves, and this has to be corrected to achieve more positive results,” said Dr. Dave Hoisington, Deputy Director General (Research), ICRISAT.

Inaugurating the five-day “International Consultation on Agricultural Research for Development and Innovation: Addressing emerging challenges and exploiting opportunities through Information and Communication Technologies” here on Monday, he said that ICT and other new technologies were effectively used by the politicians and “We must take a cue from them”. The workshop is jointly organized by ICRISAT, GFAR, FAO and APAARI.

In his special message, ICRISAT’s Director General, Dr. William Dar,  pointed out the importance information always had in agriculture, and wanted the workshop to come up with fresh and innovative ideas that could be mainstreamed in the new paradigm of international agricultural research.

Dr. Ajit Maru, of the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR), Rome, in his welcome address clearly defined the theme of the consultations and emphasized that ICT should be accorded prominence by treating it as frontier technology on par with biotechnology and nano technology. Once this was done, it should be able to attract more investments to take on new and challenging tasks of improving the livelihoods of resource-poor smallholders and producers.

Dr. Stephen Rudgard, Chief, WAICENT Outreach and Capacity Building Branch of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Rome, stressed the importance of ICT and its usefulness in transferring technologies to the poor farming communities.

Dr. Attaluri Srinivasacharyulu of APAARI, Bangkok, said that ICT had been used by various organizations around the world but it should be further extended to benefit the growing number of farming families, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.

Dr. V. Balaji, Global Theme Leader, Knowledge Management and Sharing, ICRISAT, proposed a vote of thanks. About 60 participants drawn from 27 countries and 8 international organiztions are attending the workshop.