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Certified Crop Adviser Program Developed for South Asia

Newswise - 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 inputs, 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.

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), www.agronomy.org, 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.

Source: American Society of Agronomy (ASA)