ICA-JAPAN TRAINING COURSE ON

“Fostering Core Leaders of Agricultural Co-operatives-2015”

PRESS RELEASE

The Training course on “Fostering Core Leaders of Agricultural Co-operatives-2015” was organized by ICA-AP, in Thailand and Japan between 14 February and 09th April 2016. The overall objective of the training program was to assist fostering of the core leaders, who are expected to play the leading roles in agricultural cooperatives and farmers’ groups that will contribute to the improvement of agricultural production and income of the farmers in the LDCs of Mekong River countries and South Asian Countries. The training program was implemented by the ICA-AP with the collaboration of Co-operative League of Thailand (CLT), Cooperative Promotion Department (CPD), Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Kingdom of Thailand, and Institute for the Development of Agriculture Cooperation in Asia (IDACA), Tokyo (Japan). The Training Course was funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of the Government of Japan.

The Training course was formally inaugurated by Dr. Kok Dansmaran, Chairman of CLT, on 15th February 2016, in the presence of Mr. Mr.Panuwat Na nakornpanom, Director (Planning), CPD, Mr. Konno Masahiro, Executive Director, Mr. Yukio Abe, Overseas Cooperative Development Consultant, IDACA, and Mr. Sutus Chan-Ngiab, Dy. Executive Director, CLT.

There were 16 participants from 6 countries – Bhutan, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, and Vietnam. The Training Course in Thailand was conducted in Bangkok and Co-operative Technology Transfer Centre 5 of the CPD at Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima Province). After completing the CLT/CPD Module in Thailand, the participants moved to the Institute for the Development of Agricultural Cooperation in Asia (IDACA) Japan on 14th March 2016. They remained in Japan till 09th April.

At the concluding session at IDACA on 8th April 2016, Mr. Iwahana Masahito, Deputy Director of International Cooperation Division, MAFF, Mr. Balu Iyer, Regional Director, ICA-AP, Mr. Konno Masahiro, Executive Director, IDACA & Mr. A.K. Taneja, Project Coordinator, ICA -AP, addressed the participants. Mr. Sim Boramy, a participant from Cambodia, presented a vote of thanks on behalf of all the participants.

The Certificates of Participation from the ICA as well as from the IDACA were awarded to the participants at the end of the concluding session. Mr. Balu Iyer, the Regional Director, ICA-AP and Mr Konno Masahiro, Executive Director of IDACA, distributed the Certificates to the participants.