Japanese ambassador to visit Icrisat

The Japanese Ambassador to India, Yasukuni Enoki, will be the chief guest at the 32nd annual day of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat), to be celebrated from December 13 to 15.

According to William Dar, director general of Icrisat, the visit by the ambassador will strengthen the relationship with the Japanese government, a major supporter of the institute's research. As in the past, the annual day celebrations this year will be an occasion to take stock of the past and focus attention to the future.

The theme for this year's annual day will be 'Icrisat's Vision and Strategy 2010', which focuses on agricultural research for impact to improve the poor and marginal farmers of the semi-arid tropics of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

Icrisat will also award and felicitate outstanding staff members, and also some of the institute's partners from the national agricultural research systems and the private sector.