An Overview of the National Agricultural Information System (NAIS) of the Sudan

Workshop on Building National Information Management and Knowledge Exchange Capacities in Support of Agricultural Research for

Development

AARINENA in Collaboration with FAO, GFAR and ICARDA

Cairo, Egypt 17-20 May 2009

Ahlam Ismail MusaHead, Central Library ARC, AGRIS Resource Centre of the Sudan

E-mail: ahlamusa@yahoo.com

Agricultural Research in the Sudan

Historical Background• AR in Sudan started in 1902 to explore

the possibility of growing irrigated cotton in the North and rainfed cotton in the South.

• It expanded rapidly to encompass research activities in different crops and ecological zones.

• In 1967, AR which was a Division within the Ministry of Agriculture, became the semi-autonomous, Agricultural Research Corporation (ARC), affiliated to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests.

• In 2001 the ARC became part of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Mandate

• ARC is entrusted with applied agricultural research on food and industrial crops, forestry, livestock and food technology, and with

• Ecological and regional responsibilities to develop sustainable production systems in the Sudan.

Goals

ARC contributes to the:

• achievement of food security,

• Alleviation of poverty,

• Generation of incomes,

• Promotion of agricultural export and

• Conservation of natural resources

Objectives

• To generate, develop and adapt agricultural technologies that focus on the needs of the over all agricultural development and its beneficiaries;

• To manage and conserve the soil and water resources in the country for sustainable and productive agriculture.

• To build up a research capacity and establish a system that will make agricultural research efficient, effective and based on development needs

The status and progress of development of  National Information System (NAIS) in your country

The NARS of the Sudan currently includes two main sets of scientific institutions

The scientific institutes or units mainly involved in AR:

– Agricultural Research Corporation (ARC),

– Animal Resources Research Corporation (ARRC),

– National Center for Research (NCR) ,

– Hydraulic Research Station of Gezira,

The faculties and colleges of agricultural sciences (13 faculties)

The National Agricultural Information System (NAIS) of the Sudan consists of different institutions fall under the following categories:

• International and regional agricultural organizations such as• The library of FAO Khartoum office, • Arab Center of Documentation and Information (ACADI) of the

(AOAD) • The Library of the Arab Authority of Agricultural Investment and

Development (AAAID)

• Governmental and Semi-governmental agricultural research and extension institutions, e.g.

• The Central Library – Agricultural Research Corporation (ARC) • The Documentation and Information Center (DIC) of the national

center of Research (NCR)

• Government Ministries.• University agricultural college libraries

Recent Steps of Establishment of National Focal Units in the Sudan:

The establishment of the Sudan National Agricultural Information Network (SNAIN)

Recent Steps of Establishment of National Focal Units in the Sudan (Cont.):

The first workshop of SNAIN was held in August in Khartoum.

About 66 participants representing different NARIs As a result of this workshop, the Sudan National

Agricultural Information Strategy has been agreed upon and National Steering Committee (NSC) has been formulated

SNAIN Centers Five national institutions has been

selected for initial involvement in the activities of SNAIN. These institutions are:

1. Agricultural Research Corporation (ARC)

2. University of Khartoum

3. University of Gezira (U of G)

4. Agricultural Economics and Statistics Administration (AESA), Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

5. Documentation and Information Centre (DIC), National Centre for Research (NCR)

Regional and International Networks and Initiatives

Sudan established a number of regional and international agricultural information and initiatives specially the following:

1- FAO AGRIS Network

2- AARINENA/RAIS

3- Networks and activities led by the Association of Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) and partners.

4- The Regional Agricultural Information and Learning Systems (RAILS) of the Forum of Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA).

5- The Twinning of Agricultural Information Systems project that have effectively established library consortium between the Sudanese Agricultural Library (the Agricultural Research Corporation (ARC) and University of Khartoum, The Egyptian National Agricultural library (ENAL) and ICARDA.

6- Cooperation with international and regional agricultural information organization and partners such as AOAD, AAAID, ITOCA

7- Implementation of agricultural information initiatives: AGORA, HINARI, OARE and TEEAL.

Update on actions regarding development of National Agricultural Information Systems (NAIS) since Oman meeting in January 2008

During Oman meeting, January 2008, side meeting was held between participants from Sudan and FAORNE representative Discussion was about the possibility and importance of implementation of NERAKIN national training workshop in the Sudan An initial agreement was held and action has been tack place to implement NERAKIN national training workshop in 2008

Update on actions regarding development of National Agricultural Information Systems (NAIS) since Oman meeting in January 2008 (Cont.)

The Agricultural Research Corporation (ARC) as the National Focal Unit find support from the Arab Organization of Agricultural Development (AOAD), Khartoum to hold NERAKIN national training workshop in collaboration with FAORNE. The ARC would host the workshop and provide facilities for the workshop Due to the new developments of NERAKIN, the training workshop has been proposed to be implemented in 2009

Update on actions regarding development of National Agricultural Information Systems (NAIS) since Oman meeting in January 2008 (Cont.)

National capacity building in the Sudan since Oman meeting 2008: Tow national agricultural information training workshops has been implemented in the Sudan since Oman meeting 2008

AGORA/HINARI/OARE and TEEAL national training of trainer workshop held in April organized by the ARC of the Sudan, ITOCA, UNEP, TEEAL and Rockerfeller Foundation – USA Training Workshop of Sudan- NCR Researchers on Online Access to SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION Using AGORA, HINARI and OARE Portals organized in November 2008 by the National Centre for Research (Sudan) in collaboration with FAORNE, UNEP and WHO

Conclusion and Recommendations:

Sudan has developed and actively participated in national, regional and international agricultural information networks to strengthening agricultural research for development

It is highly recommended to implement NERAKIN/NAIS and CIARD national training workshop in the Sudan to strengthening national capacities of agricultural information management and effectively sharing of agricultural knowledge at national, regional and international levels

Thank You ….