UNIVERSITIES HELP REBUILD IRAQI AGRICULTURE
By New Mexico Business Weekly
December 19, 2006
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved $5.3 million to finance efforts by a new university consortium to help Iraq rebuild its agricultural base.
New Mexico State University will participate in the consortium, which will be led by Texas A&M University and will include Washington State University, Utah State University and the University of California at Davis.
In addition to the $5.3 million grant, another $2.5 million is designated for USDA staff stationed in Iraq and Washington, D.C., who will support the project.
The program will build an agricultural extension service in Iraq with training and supervision from the universities. The participants will train Iraqi nationals in management, production and marketing related to small- and medium-sized agricultural enterprises. They will specifically address crop production in arid environments, livestock development, animal health, irrigation technology, and efficient water management.
NMSU will help train extension specialists and set up distance-learning programs. NMSU also will conduct train-the-trainer programs and help with crop trials, demonstration plots and laboratory research.
Most of the training will take place at a research facility in neighboring Jordan.
By New Mexico Business Weekly
December 19, 2006
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved $5.3 million to finance efforts by a new university consortium to help Iraq rebuild its agricultural base.
New Mexico State University will participate in the consortium, which will be led by Texas A&M University and will include Washington State University, Utah State University and the University of California at Davis.
In addition to the $5.3 million grant, another $2.5 million is designated for USDA staff stationed in Iraq and Washington, D.C., who will support the project.
The program will build an agricultural extension service in Iraq with training and supervision from the universities. The participants will train Iraqi nationals in management, production and marketing related to small- and medium-sized agricultural enterprises. They will specifically address crop production in arid environments, livestock development, animal health, irrigation technology, and efficient water management.
NMSU will help train extension specialists and set up distance-learning programs. NMSU also will conduct train-the-trainer programs and help with crop trials, demonstration plots and laboratory research.
Most of the training will take place at a research facility in neighboring Jordan.
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