ICRISAT calls for use of ICT for empowering farmers
Hyderabad | Wednesday, Dec 9 2009 IST
 

ICRISAT Deputy Director General (Research) Dave Hoisington has stressed the need for increased use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in agriculture research. According to a press release here today, addressing a gathering at the five-day workshop on 'Addressing emerging challenges and exploiting opportunities through Information and Communication Technologies', Dr Hoisington said ICT had immense potential in empowering farming communities, and it should be put to greater use by the agricultural research and extension institutions.

Pointing out that politicians were able to effectively use new technologies, including ICT, and the agricultural scientists must take a cue from them, he said, ''Unfortunately, till now ICT is not given the due importance it deserves, and this has to be corrected to achieve more positive results.'' In his special message, ICRISATs Director General William D Dar highlighted the importance of information in agriculture, and encouraged 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 GFAR, Rome, opined that ICT should be accorded prominence by treating it as frontier technology on a par with biotechnology and nano technology. ''Once this is 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 Attaluri Srinivasacharyulu of APAARI, Bangkok, said ICT should be further extended to benefit the growing number of farming families, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.

About 60 participants from 27 countries and eight international organisations are attending the workshop, jointly organised by ICRISAT, Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI), the release added.

-- (UNI) -- 09MS31.xml

 

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