OREANDA-NEWS. June 17, 2010. The 13th Annual Steering and Executive Committee Meeting of the Program of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research for Central Asia and the Caucasus closed in Ashgabat. Over 60 delegates from about 20 countries including prominent scientists, experts, specialists, the representatives of the international organisations and journalists visited the experimental grounds of the Agricultural Research Institute and the Grain Crops Institute in the vicinities of Anau. These agricultural research centres fruitfully collaborate with the CGIAR.

As is known, the CGIAR Program for Central Asia and the Caucasus was established in 1998. Since then the research institutions of Turkmenistan has established fruitful cooperation with the CGIAR Program in adopting advanced agricultural technologies, preserving the gene pool of local varieties, exchanging best and promising varieties of crops, legumes and vegetables. The collections of varieties were of particular interest to the participants of the scientific forum.

The participants could receive the first-hand information about the large-scale work done by Turkmen agricultural scientists and their achievements and evaluate vast opportunities opened up for Turkmen science today. As is known, particular attention is paid to promotion of science in the context of the large-scale reforms initiated by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in the epoch of new Revival. The Turkmen leader states that scientific advances enabling to substantially increase crop capacity of each hectare through cultivating new varieties, using state-of-the-art agricultural equipment and crop rotation should be adopted to implement the rural development programmes in Turkmenistan.

Turkmen scientists’ research activity considerably contributes to implementing the agricultural reforms and large-scale projects aimed to bringing agricultural production to a higher level. These include the Turkmen Lake project aimed at preventing land degradation, conserving biodiversity and using efficiently land and water resources.

The visit to the experimental grounds of the Agricultural Research Institute and the Grain Crops Institute vividly illustrates the success of the reforms launched in the agro-industry sector on the initiative of President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

After visiting the experimental grounds of the Agricultural Research Institute and the Grain Crops Institute in the vicinities of Anau, the participants said that the well thought-out, balanced policy pursued by the Turkmen leader created the conditions conducive to social, economic ands cience-based ecological sustainability, improvement the quality of land development activities and efficient use natural resources of Turkmenistan.