Madison, Wisconsin
June 9, 2009
The American Society of Agronomy partners on the Cereal
System Initiative for South Asia to implement a certification
program for agronomic professionals to benefit millions of South
Asian farmers with increased productivity.
The American Society of Agronomy (ASA), an international
scientific society based in Madison, WI, will develop and
implement a highly qualified workforce program for private and
public sector extension by establishing a Certified Crop Adviser
(CCA) program in South Asia. The main target for this program
will be the frontline agronomists employed by private companies,
non-government organizations, and public sector agencies.
Certification by ASA ensures that crop advisers are competent in
all aspects of crop production and provide services in an
ethical manner.
ASA has partnered on the Cereal System Initiative for South Asia
(CSISA), which brings together a range of public- and
private-sector organizations to enable sustainable cereal
production in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. CSISA is
led by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the
three other centers with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation, $19.59 million, the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) contributing more than $10
million, and the World Bank, $0.5 million, during the first
three years of the program.
Many private companies in Asia are investing in new agribusiness
and services infrastructure, including a substantial workforce
of crop advisers who directly work with farmers, providing
input, crop advice, and market information. High quality
standards are vital for providing new technologies to farmers
and developing sustainable production practices. This
responsibility requires a proficient understanding of crop
production science, food safety, economics, and the environment.
As J.K. Ladha, an IRRI soil scientist and leader of Objective 7
of CSISA, Creating a New Generation of Scientists and
Professional Agronomists, said, “The private sector in India and
in other countries in South Asia is moving aggressively in the
agricultural area, but they do not have a certified program for
crop advisers to help transfer knowledge for improving crop
productivity. Many technologies that we have on the shelf are
not going efficiently and quickly to the farmer. About 25% of
the overall CSISA program is funded for delivery of information
to the farmer and that is the key in making this program
successful.”
To address this emerging demand by the private sector and the
continuing need of public sector extension systems, CSISA will
facilitate the implementation of the a CCA program as a
voluntary self-sustained program that establishes a base level
of competency through testing, education, and experience
requirements; and maintains or raises that competency through
continuing education or requirements for participants in the
program.
This program comes at a crucial time for key nations in the
region—home to 40% of the world's poor with nearly half a
billion people subsisting on less than US$1 a day—as they
struggle to boost grain supplies in the wake of growing demand
and strained natural resources. The project, which builds on
past cereal research achievements in the public and private
sectors, aims to produce an additional five million tons of
grain annually and increase the yearly incomes of six million
poor rural households by at least $350.
“This program is extremely important for the food supply of the
most populous region of the world. We are honored to take part
in this initiative with IRRI,” said Mark Alley, American Society
of Agronomy President and W.G. Wysor Professor of Agriculture,
Virginia Tech, “Our objective is to help build a certified crop
adviser program to deliver higher quality production
recommendations that will result in the more efficient use o f
expensive resources, better protection of the environment and a
higher quality of life for producers in India and the South Asia
region.”
CSISA's 10-year goal is for four million farmers to achieve a
yield increase of at least 0.5 tons per hectare on five million
hectares, and an additional two million farmers to achieve a
yield increase of at least 1.0 ton per hectare on 2.5 million
hectares.
The American Society of
Agronomy (ASA) is a scientific society helping its 8,000+
members advance the disciplines and practices of agronomy by
supporting professional growth and science policy initiatives,
and by providing quality, research-based publications and a
variety of member services.
The Certified Crop Adviser program,
www.certifiedcropadviser.org, administered by the American
Society of Agronomy and overseen by an international board of
directors, is a voluntary certification program for individuals
that provide advice to growers on crop management and inputs. A
program which began in 1992, the certification gives growers
assurance that advisers are competent in all aspects of crop
production, up to date on the latest in crop management and
government mandates, and provides all services in an ethical
manner. |
|
