Organized by National Engineering Research Center for Information Technology in Agriculture (NERCITA), the Training Program on Information Technology in Agriculture for Africa from 18th June to 2nd July has achieved a complete success in China. 19 participants from 13 African nations attended the training session that covered four parts: Application of RS, GIS and GPS in Agriculture, Agricultural Expert System, Digital Water-Conservation Technology and Precision Agriculture Technology. All technological training involved in the session has been respectively conducted by 19 professors through lectures, seminars, field visits and actual practice.
Both the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (MOST) have demonstrated kind support for and keen interest in this training program. Mr. Mongi Hamdi, official of UNCTAD, Mr. Cai Jianing, division director of the Department of International Cooperation of MOST, and Mr. Li Yunfu, president of Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences with administrative authority over NERCITA, attended the opening ceremony and the welcome banquet held in Century Golden Resources Hotel on 18th June.
Textbooks were compiled and training plans designed by NERCITA to suit the participants’ knowledge of IT application in agriculture as well as the features of agriculture production in Africa. Several famous Chinese experts in agricultural IT research were invited to give lectures mainly in practical and portable technology. Lectures were orderly arranged from simplicity to complexity. Participants have acquired certain technologies through practice. As a result of communication and interaction with participants, certain adjustments were made to the training courses. For instance, the application of remote sensing image processing software (ENVI) was added during the training session on 3S technologies at the request of participants. Besides, the Tracing System for the Safety Management of the Production of Agricultural Produce was also covered in the course with a visit to Jinweifuren Mosque Food Co., Ltd in Daxing District, Beijing, where participants obtained first-hand experience of information recording and tracing management of the complete process of the feeding, slaughtering, and marketing of beef cattle by management personnel. In terms of the training on precision agriculture, much emphasis was laid on the technology of variable rate fertilizer and pesticide application. At the National Research and Demonstration Base of Precision Agriculture, participants experienced the production management and working mode of precision agriculture as well as the use of intellectual equipment and other agricultural machinery involved. On the digital water-conservation technology, participants were presented with the means and methods of water-conserving irrigation in accordance with differences in the environment and with the diverse water demands of different crops. In the training courses of agriculture expert system, the process and methods to develop a required expert system was introduced, using the Agriculture Expert System Development Platform. All participants have practiced the expert system development process on the Platform, and received a copy of PAID6.0 Software as present from NERCITA.
NERCITA has provided all-round service for all African participants. Since the participants list was confirmed by UNCTAD, NERCITA had maintained close contact with each participant and helped for their visa application. Airport shuttle service was provided for the arrival and departure of all participants. As to the accommodation, custom differences of the participants were respected. Western-style buffet dinners were available, and special food was prepared for Muslim. Buses were arranged between hotel and NERCITA for all participants to ensure their safety. Internet and international telephone service was available. On weekends, participants were entertained with sightseeing and guided tours, such as visiting the Tian’anmen Square, the Great Wall and the Dingling mausoleum.
At the closing ceremony of the training program held on 2nd July, Mr. Cai Jianing, division director of Department of International Cooperation of MOST, and Mr. Zhao Chunjiang, director of NERCITA conferred certificates of completion on all participants and presented them with souvenirs, as well as exchanged opinions about the training with them. The participants highly appreciated the efforts made and service provided by NERCITA and expressed their wishes of communication and cooperation with China in agricultural technology with further help from China. Some participants also proposed that they would keep in contact with NERCITA after their return home, and send more technicians to participate in training programs offered by NERCITA, for utilizing and spreading China’s agricultural technology in Africa.
Spending 15 days to study and live together, the participants from different countries have made friends with each other. They have decided to voluntarily form a group as ITAA G-20 (meaning Information Technology in Agriculture for Africa Group of 20), to formulate new research agenda on IT and agriculture, prepare proposals on common research subjects and other areas that may enhance the awareness on IT and allied areas to improve rural livelihoods and agriculture in Africa.
After their return, the participants have sent letters to express their appreciation again to UNCTAD, MOST and NERCITA for providing them this excellent program, and to express their wishes to strengthen the cooperation between China and Africa in the area of agricultural development in Africa. |