A top level meeting between the Director General of CIMMYT (Mexico) Thomas Adam Lumpkin  and Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) Dr. Wais Kabir, was held at the latter's office at Farmgate, Dhaka on August 8, 2009. The Director General CIMMYT was accompanied by Dr. Raj Gupta, South Asian Coordinator (DACSP) and Head of CIMMYT, Bangladesh. The meeting was held in connection with the two-day visit of the Director General of CIMMYT in Bangladesh. During the meeting Mr. Lumpkin apprised of his experience of  visit, more particularly in some areas including Kapasia of Gazipur, Rangpur, Rajshahi and Nilphamari where he observed the progress of wheat and maize based cropping and expressed his satisfaction over the achievement so far made. He underscored the need for future research collaboration between CIMMYT and NARS.

The Executive Chairman of BARC, Dr. Wais Kabir briefed the activities of BARC with special focus on its role as an apex body of the NARS system and sought cooperation and collaboration from CIMMYT in developing or introducing heat and disease tolerant and short duration HYV wheat and maize vareities. The Executive Chairman requested sustainable technical assistance from DG CIMMYT so that Bangladesh could develop improved maize vareities suitable for human consumption.  The Executive Chairman opined to reverse the declining support of CIMMYT's cooperation in Bangladesh and sought more cooperation in human resource development needed for the purpose. He hoped that the CIMMYT-BARC collaboration would further be strengthened in the days ahead.

Some senior scientists including the Executive Director of KGF, Dr. M. Nurul Alam, National Project Director, NATP Dr. Md. Abdur Razzaque, Project Director of PCU-NATP Dr. M.A. Quessem Director General of BARI, Dr. Kshirode Chandra Roy and Director General of BRRI, Dr. Md. Firoz Shah Sikdar were present on the occasion and exchanged views on various aspects of CIMMYT's research initiatives.

An African delegation of agricultural scientists consisting of eight members from Burkina Faso, Madagascar, Niger, Senegal and Togo visited BARC to oversee fertilizer management in Bangladesh particularly to study the efforts of Bangladesh on increasing fertilizer use efficiency. The team met Dr. Wais Kabir, the Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) at the latter's office at Farmagate in Dhaka on June 7, 2009. The delegation members exchanged views on the overall agricultural development of Bangladesh especially on the deep placement of Urea Super Granules (USG) in the rice cultivation in Bangladesh which at least can save 20% use of urea. They were also briefed about the achievement and progress of the use of USG in Bangladesh, the mode of application and the applicators.

Int'l Fertilizer Development Centre (IFDC) organized this visit to acquaint the visiting members with the National Agricultural System (NARS) of Bangladesh.

It may be mentioned that since 1995 USG is being produced and primarily used in rice cultivation in the Tangail district. Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) has in the meantime produced 2000 machines. And 30 machines have in the meantime been exported to 15 countries.

The senior scientists of BARC including the Member Director (P&E) Dr. Sk. Ghulam Hussain,  Dr. Md. Abeed Hossain Chowdhury, Director (Computer & GIS Unit) and Md. Abdus Sattar CSO (Soil)  were present on the occasion.

A three member senior team from Katalyst and IDE (Int'l Development Enterprises) met the Executive Chairman of BARC Dr. Wais Kabir on August 4, 2009. IDE and Catalyst are jointly conducting a scoping study on "Irrigation Market System" in the northern districts. As part of this study the meeting was held to discuss and learn about minor irrigation related information, issues and suggestions for future action as well as government policy matter.

The team members were Mr. Chandar Kumar Sarkar, Business Development Manager of IDE, Mr. Badrul Alam, Micro Irrigation Technology Coordinator of IDE and Mr. Mohsin Talukdar, Business Consultant, Rural Sectors Group, Katalyst.

The team members discussed the present irrigation system, efficiency related matter with irrigation including surface irrigation system. They referred to their own study saying that especially the poor farmers cannot supply water to their land because of the want of irrigation machines and consequently they have 30 per cent less production. They talked about the import of smaller and easy portable (2HP) machines, (although more duties are imposed on the smaller irrigation machines than those of the heavier 4HP machines) affordable to the poor farmers. The Executive Chairman narrated the overall irrigation activities in the country and welcomed their effort to facilitate the minor irrigation, thereby benefiting the poor and marginal farmers in Bangladesh.