ANM Elias, Technical Coordinator, Innovations, FoSHoL-CARE participated in the workshop that mainly addressed technologies that are being developed under a joint IRRI-BRRI-NRI-CPP project for Barind region where FoSHoL-CARE is working. The project offers a number of technologies that are in the pipeline for dissemination and are suitable for Barind region.

On 4-5 March 2006, IRRI together with NRI and CPP of UK organized the workshop at BRAC Centre, Mohakhali, Dhaka . Honorable Minister for Agriculture M K Anwar MP was present as the chief guest of the workshop.

The technologies that are recommended for the region are drought resistant short duration rice varieties, high yielding chick pea varieties, use of residual moisture for chick pea, direct dry or wet seeded technologies for rice that help reduce the duration of rice on the field, weed management etc. Besides technologies, a good network of research and extension that is very potential in terms of accessing support to disseminate the technologies to the resource poor farming households was developed. Some of these agencies are BRRI Rajshahi, PROVA (an NGO), BARI Rajshahi, DAE of Rajshahi region, BRRI & BARI Gazipur.

This was a very good link for FoSHoL-CARE to develop to access appropriate technology for their clients. The project people also found FoSHoL-CARE as an appropriate agent to further disseminate and validate their technologies.