Within the framework of its Cotton Capacity Building Programme (Cotton-CaB), SESRIC organized a Training Course on “Productivity Enhancement of Cotton by Using Modern Agronomic Practices” on 14-16 February 2023 through an online video conferencing platform.

The training course was provided by competent experts from the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) for the benefit of 49 cotton experts and researchers from the National Cotton Institutions in 12 OIC African Member Countries, namely, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Guinea, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo and Uganda.

The main objective of the training course was to strengthen the technical capacities of the researchers and cotton experts at the National Cotton Institutions in OIC African Member Countries by providing insights on cotton productivity enhancement through soil health improvement and integrated nutrient management, preventive and non-chemical weed management strategies to boost cotton productivity, improving resource use efficiency through intercropping and mulches, among other technical subjects. It also aimed to provide a platform for exchanging views and experiences on overcoming the technical know-how gaps in cotton productivity enhancement and nutrient management and discussing ways and means of increasing cooperation in this crucial field.

The training course commenced with the opening remarks of Mr. Onur ÇAĞLAR, Director of the Training and Technical Cooperation Department at SESRIC, who began by expressing heartfelt condolences to the people of Türkiye and Syria for the catastrophic loss of life and destruction caused by the devastating earthquakes that hit both countries on 06 February 2023. He then continued by highlighting the importance of cotton as one of the most significant cash crops in many OIC Member Countries. It plays a vital multi-sectoral role in OIC Countries’ economies, earning foreign exchange and providing employment for millions in the agricultural and related processing and textile sub-sectors, he stated. He also indicated that the cotton farmers in Africa face complex challenges, including limited access to water and other inputs vital to producing healthy crops, and often suffer from low yields and profits. In order to address the cotton-related challenges and problems, he emphasized the significance of strengthening cooperation and enhancing the technical capacities of the relevant national institutions working in the field of cotton by using strategic and sustainable approaches. Before concluding, he expressed his profound thanks to the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC), along with IsDB and FAO, for their fruitful cooperation with SESRIC towards the organization of this training course.

In his welcoming remarks, Dr. Tassawar Hussain MALIK, Director of Research and Administration at the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC), began by thanking SESRIC for jointly organizing this important training course for the benefit of cotton experts and researchers from the National Cotton Institutions in the OIC African Member Countries. He emphasized the urgent need to increase cotton yield globally by implementing the most recent agronomic practices and technology to counter diverse biotic and abiotic risks, particularly the impacts of climate change on cotton production. He also highlighted the readiness and willingness of the PCCC to continue strengthening its partnership with SESRIC and the already strong connections with the National Cotton Institutions of the OIC Member Countries to foster sharing of knowledge, experience and best practices in the OIC region.

SESRIC developed its Cotton Capacity Building Programme (Cotton-CaB) in 2006 within the framework of the implementation of the OIC 5-year Action Plan on Cotton with a view to organizing capacity building training activities in close cooperation with the Centres of Excellence specialized in cotton research and training in the OIC Member Countries. Through various modalities, including training courses, training workshops, and study visits, the Programme seeks to encourage sharing and exchanging of information, experiences, and best practices among the OIC Member Countries in this important domain. For more information on SESRIC’s Cotton Capacity Building Programme (Cotton-CaB), please visit: https://www.sesric.org/cbp-ctp.php.

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