Chiang Mai, Thailand — 27 November 2024. Chiang Mai University hosted the Thailand Agricultural Expo 2024 to celebrate its 60th anniversary. The university also marked the 2024 National Agriculture Day at the Mae Hia Agricultural Research, Demonstration, and Training Center on this occasion.
Dr. Hari Sankar Nayak, a post-doctoral fellow with Cornell and IRRI, joins a pool of agriculture experts to receive the International Fertilizer Association (IFA) Emerging Scholar Award. He is honored by the IFA for his research on leveraging data-driven approaches to enhance sustainable rice production and optimize nitrogen use efficiency.
From November 12–14, 2024, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) hosted the CGIAR Breeding and Research Services (BRS) Shared Services Workshop for Asia at its headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines.
07-18 October 2024 (Los Banos, Laguna) - Genebanks hold a lifeline to the future. To ensure their operational sustainability for generations, the Fit for Future Genetic Resources (FFGR) Unit at IRRI, Biodiversity for Opportunities, Livelihoods and Development project of the Global Crop Diversity Trust (BOLD-GCDT), Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF), CGIAR Genebank Initiative, and the Mexican Government sponsored a Capacity Development and Knowledge Exchange Training. The goal is to empower staff of national genebanks in key areas, including seed characterization, multiplication, germplasm handling, and data management, aligning with FAO’s standards for genebank operations. The training was conducted by the team of Dr. Venuprasad Ramaiah, unit leader of FFGR.
The 2024 Annual Activity Review Workshop for the CGIAR Initiative for Mixed-Farming Systems (MFS) project brought together key stakeholders to assess the progress and future directions for sustainable farming in Bangladesh. This initiative addresses the need for resource-efficient, climate-resilient practices by integrating crop and livestock production, providing targeted innovations like crop diversification, improved fodder varieties, and gender-sensitive mechanization. A major takeaway from the workshop was the positive impact of collaborative efforts on enhancing farm productivity, income, and resilience in local communities.
4-5 July 2024 (Los Banos, Laguna)—The Seed Health and Logistics Unit (SHU) and the Breeding Operations Unit - Cross Cutting Operations (CCO), in partnership with HR - Learning and Development (HRL&D), conducted two transformative training sessions on the Sampling of Seedlots and Consignments for Seed Health Testing. This initiative aimed to empower Research Technicians (RTs) by enhancing their proficiency in performing seed sampling according to the established protocols of SHU and CCO.
7-17 October 2024 (Los Baños, Laguna)—Five (5) government technical staff from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar united for a 10-day training program at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. Hosted by the Institute of Food Science and Technology, this program offered participants a valuable opportunity to advance their knowledge of food safety, sensory evaluation, and innovative food processing techniques.
