A high-level delegation from Argentina visited Nebraska July 11-14 to discuss areas for cooperation in water resource management and governance, irrigation and related technologies such as remote sensing, crop improvement and soil health, including efforts to improve carbon sequestration.

Argentina's federal government aims to further develop its agricultural production and productivity, water management and irrigation infrastructure; improve rural sanitation; and reduce poverty.

INTERNATIONAL VISITORS: The Argentine delegation visited sites surrounding the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Agricultural Research and Development Center near Mead. (Photo credit: Elizabeth Jordan-Flight, UNL international affairs coordinator)

The visit followed discussions that University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Ronnie Green had in May in Buenos Aires with Argentine Ministries, Argentina's National Institute of Agriculture Technology, CONICET (Argentina's National Science Foundation), the University of Buenos Aires and the U.S.-Argentina Fulbright Commission. With the advent of a new government in Argentina, the chancellor wanted to express his interest in expanding mutually advantageous relations.

Green said UNL and Nebraska have much in common with Argentina. Shared agricultural interests in beef cattle, corn, soybeans and wheat make the two sides collaborators in the global effort to assure worldwide food security and improve nutrition for a global population expected to grow to 9 billion people by 2050.

Pablo Bereciartua, Argentina's Under Secretary of Water Resources in the Ministry of Interior, said, "Without a partnership in agriculture between Argentina and Nebraska and nations like Brazil, there is little hope of feeding the world."

In addition to Bereciartua, the group was led by Luis María Urriza, undersecretary of the Ministry of Agroindustry; Esteban Llavallol, director of technology and research in the Ministry of Agroindustry; Juan Cruz Molina, secretary of agriculture for Cordoba Province's Ministry of Agriculture; and Miguel Tezanos Pinto, undersecretary of agriculture for Buenos Aires Province's Department of Agriculture. Martin Pasman, Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute adviser and president of Valmont Argentina, accompanied the delegation.

The group met with Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and Director of Agriculture Greg Ibach during their time in Lincoln. They also visited UNL's Agricultural Research and Development Center in Mead, Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Scottsbluff, West Central Research and Extension Center in North Platte, and the Paulman Farms operation in Sutherland.

Representatives from the Nebraska Association of Natural Resource Districts, Big Blue NRD, Central Platte NRD, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Services and the Water for Food Global Institute spent considerable time discussing water management, and policy and soil sustainability with the delegation.

However, the visit primarily focused on UNL's capacity in water and irrigation science and engineering, increasing crop productivity, plant breeding, strengthening plant stress tolerance, drought mitigation and drought warning systems, Extension services, agricultural economics, and remote and in-soil sensing and data interpretation.

On July 14, Green hosted the delegation and a group of Nebraska business leaders who are key players in irrigation technology, crop science and agricultural equipment manufacturing. At the dinner, Green said, "In Nebraska, public-private partnerships with business, state government, the community and UNL were part of our DNA." He said UNL would continue to work with Nebraska partners in the livestock and agricultural sectors, businesses and state government to advance both the state's and Argentina's mutual interests.

Source: UNL News