The ACSAD’s Director-General / two meetings in Tunisia

The Director-General of the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Drylands” ACSAD”, His Excellency, Dr Nasr Edin Obaid, and the First Deputy of the President of Tunisian General Union’s for Agriculture and Fisheries, Mr Mouez Bin Zaghdan, discussed the cooperation relations between ACSAD Organization and the General Union, and the ways to enhance them in different areas, especially making use from the ACSAD’s scientific research applied expertise.
During his visit to the General Union of Agriculture and Fisheries in Tunisia, the Director-General of the ACSAD Organization presented a brief presentation on ACSAD’s programs and activities in the Arab countries, especially its efforts in addressing the climate change impacts on agriculture; and the optimal utilization of the natural resources under the light of water shortage the Arab world goes through.
He pointed out the importance of ACSAD’s varieties from cereals in terms of high yielding, adapting to climate difficulties, and resilience to diseases; the species of small ruminant strains of sheep and goats that ACSAD improved them at the meat and dairy level. Moreover, the hard-working on finding the appropriate applied and research solutions through field profound studies in water harvesting and raising the efficiency of irrigation, conservation agriculture, fodder, pasture, fruit trees, and agricultural land reclamation.

The General Union of Agriculture and Fisheries’ First Deputy in Tunisia explained the difficulties in the agricultural sector and the natural chalanges resultant from climatical changes and their consequences on the food and water security in Tunisia, indicating the necessity of exchanging experiments and the success stories among the Arab countries for addressing these challenges.
He also praised ACSAD’s applied and research activities in the Arab countries, calling for developing cooperation between ACSAD and Tunisia, expressing the General Union’s willingness to host the Arab Center ACSAD as Guest of Honor for the upcoming International Exhibition of Agriculture, Agricultural Machinery, and Fishing, which will be organizing in 2023.
The ACSAD’s Director-General welcomed this invitation, calling for preparing a frame for the cooperation between ACSAD and the General Union in several areas, such as the conservation agriculture of cereal, olive, pistachio, and saffron; training on the mathematical modelling of groundwater. He also expressed ACASD’s readiness to publish the Union’s research results and articles in its scientific journals and specialized publications.
On the other side, Dr Nasr Edin Obaid and Mr Ezulldin Shalghaf, the Director-General of the Office of Livestock and Pasture, discussed the cooperation relations between both sides and the ways to enhance them in various areas.

The ACSAD Organization’s Director-General expressed the Arab Center readiness in supporting the Office of Livestock and Pasture in the specialized areas, exchanging experiences within a cooperative program under the frame convention of cooperation between ACSAD and the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources, and Fisheries, which is expected to be signed by the beginning of next year.