Director Speech

A new scientific edifice added to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research – University of Mosul.

  Based on the letter from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research / Department of Research and Development / Scientific Research Authority Secretariat (No. 5207 on June 19, 2023), which approved the establishment of the Center for Arid Farming and Conservational Agricultural Research’s (C.AFCAR) at the University of Mosul, the center was officially established under University Order No. 1/8/23899 on August 8, 2023.

With the establishment of this promising center—by the grace of Allah—the technical and advisory activities led by current and retired experts and pioneering farmers in conservation agriculture will resume. Scientific, practical, and extension activities in sustainable agricultural development will be revitalized through this new scientific institution.

The center is the culmination of years and effort by pioneers of the Conservation Agriculture Program. The initial and pivotal role in activating the request to establish the center belongs to the Presidency of the University of Mosul and the approval of the University Council.

Regarding the entities that supported the center’s establishment, we acknowledge Nineveh Governorate’s initiative to submit the request and recommendation to the MOHESR to establish the center, in addition to its financial allocation for reconstructing and furnishing the center’s building.

We also recognize the pioneering support of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and the ongoing role of the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) in providing research, technical, and office supplies for the center. Additionally, we acknowledge the logistical support for conservation agriculture programs by the international agricultural institutions ACIAR and CGIAR, as well as the technical support from some Australian universities specializing in agriculture.

Through the efforts of the center’s staff, pioneering farmers, and supporting entities, C.AFCAR aims to restore Nineveh’s historical title as the “Mother of Two Springs” in both word and deed. From here, blessings will extend to all of Iraq, as it is the nation’s breadbasket and a source of prosperity for all.

Prof Dr. Abdulsattar Asmair Alrijabo