The Seventh Conference for the development Scientific Research and Agricultural Extension in the Arab Region\Recommendations/
The Seventh Conference for the development Scientific Research and Agricultural Extension in the Arab Region praised the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Drylands ACSAD’s efforts in organizing the Conference, which concluded its works lately at the Arab Center’s headquarters under the title of “Palm Cultivation Development in the Arab Region.” despite the challenges and exceptional circumstances in the Arab countries; attended by agricultural research and extension officials in the Arab countries and representatives of Arab and international organizations.
The Conference recommended forming a scientific and technical body from Arab and international organizations; its task is to unite the Arab efforts to share data and information related to Palm tree production, distribute roles in reducing waste of financial resources, and avoid the repetition of activities. To mandate the Arab Center (ACSAD) to coordinate and collaborate with the Arab countries to conduct the necessary studies and research to identify the wastage in the crop and propose scientific and technical methods and means to address and minimize waste as far as possible.
It also recommended coordination and cooperation with the Arab countries and Arab and international organizations to disseminate and publish all recent in the palm production field, including improved agricultural practices ( service and irrigation operations) and post-fairy marketing policies (packing, sorting, etc.); and launching an electronic platform for showing and disseminating that, and conducting of training courses for Arab cadres.
The recommendations stressed the importance of the Arab Center’s adoption of the implementation of a comprehensive research project to study “the Development of sustainable and value chains of Date Palm in the Arab countries” in collaboration with international and Arab financing institutions and organizations. Enhancing the extension role and developing it in the field of Palm and Dates production, welfare, and marketing through adopting effective methods and means, and ACSAD unifying the efforts and distributing the roles among the Arab countries, and conducting the required training courses.
The recommendations demanded the necessary coordination among the Arab countries and the regional and international organizations in combating Red Palm Weevil; publishing all requisite information and data about the insect’s environment and its spread factors, encouraging experts and researchers in the Palm development field, and participating in the International Khalifa Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation.
Then, the eighth Conference’s title for development the scientific research and agricultural extension has been identified, entitled “The Scientific Research and Extension Role in neutralizing the impact of land degradation.” and held it during 2023. Noting that six conferences preceded this conference to develop scientific research and agricultural extension in the Arab region
His Excellency, the Director-General of the Arab Center (ACSAD), Dr. Nasr Edin Obaid, showed in a speech at the opening of the Conference the most significant challenges addressing the Arab countries that related to the most important scientific and technical development and the ability to adapt with its information and harness them in the field of development in order to upgrade Arab agricultural production and achieve food security; and Those challenges addressing the Arab countries like negative climatic changes, water scarcity, and rapid population growth. He affirmed that this required an integrated approach among Arab countries that would reduce waste and duplication in implementing agricultural development research and projects and increase expenditure allocations that are still below the required limit.
He also reviewed the most important Arab Center achievements in the field of research and practical studies and disseminating them to the Arab States concerning high productive agricultural items and developing improved races of Awassi sheep and Shami goats, adopting the integrated approach in combating desertification, restoring the degraded areas, limiting sand dunes. Moreover, the dissemination of waste and saltwater technologies safely and the implementation of several rainwater harvesting projects.
Dr. Obaid concentrated on the Arab Center’s efforts during 25 years in implementing particular events and activities, developing and improving the Dates and Palm sector. He clarified that the center succeeded in establishing the development research network Palm in 12 Arab countries, creating a permanent program for that within its annual plans and the outstanding efforts in the field of combating Palm weevil and limiting its spreading. He also noted that the Arab Center worked to increase Palm production by more than 30% by applying improved practices on Palm groves entirely funded by the Arab Center(ACSAD) budget; which achieved a quantum leap in Palm Date proliferation done by tissue culture, which had been used on two types of Dates (Lulu and al-Medjool).
During two days, experts and specialists from 13 Arab countries and national, regional, and international research centers participated in the Conference discussed various scientific topics.
