BWI: ISAP Launches India Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) Program in Collaboration with American Society of Agronomy (SA)

Press release from Business Wire India
Source: Indian Society of Agribusiness Professionals (ISAP)
Thursday, March 24, 2011 03:09 PM IST (09:39 AM GMT)
Editors: General: Consumer interest, Social issues; Business: Agriculture, Business services, Media & entertainment
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ISAP Launches India Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) Program in Collaboration with American Society of Agronomy (SA)
CCA Certification to benefit employers, farmers, Government by increasing

New Delhi, Delhi, India, Thursday, March 24, 2011 -- (Business Wire India) -- Indian Society of Agribusiness Professionals (ISAP) in collaboration with American Society of Agronomy today announced the formal launch of Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) Programme in India. The first of its kind flagship programme is a professionally recognized certification by American Society of Agronomy (ASA) which will benefit the extension workers, agronomists, crop experts, specialists, consultants and other agriculture practitioners of the public and private organizations. Targeted at improving the knowledge levels of the frontline agriculture extension specialists employed by private companies, non-government organizations, and public-sector agencies, this certification will also provide a competitive edge to Agriculture professionals who wish to have an eclectic, meaningful careers especially those who directly interface and advice farmers on various crop related issues.

Hailed as the most important intervention in the field of Agriculture Extension, the certification aims to benefit professionals such as Market development officers, Agriculture Extension Professionals, Agri input sales personnel, Agriculture Development Officers, field assistants, Farm extension workers both in public and private sectors, Consultants and Farm Managers, Educators and Extension specialists, Academic Scientists and Agronomy Researchers, etc. by building their proficiency and keeping their knowledge updated. The comprehensive curriculum addresses practical knowledge in all key areas of farming and after undergoing the CCA programme, an agriculture professional is assured to get more acceptability, credibility and recognition in the market.

Announcing the formal launch, Mr Rajeev Dar, Chairman, ISAP said,"This unique agri-extension certification course equips professionals with the in-depth knowledge in the key areas of Agriculture and helps them in addressing farmer queries in a more informed manner and consequently helps in enhancing the country's agricultural productivity." Moreover, the certification will lead to plethora of job opportunities in multinational organizations, in information and communication technologies (ICT) and increased earning potential by opening up of new entrepreneurial opportunities."

The CCA course details are available on the www.certifiedcropadviser.org/india. Every CCA must undertake 40 hours of continuous education in 2 years; to maintain his/ her certification; which can include workshops and trainings that are part of the curriculum. In addition, CCAs are provided with self-study materials, journals and queries addressed by experts from renowned agricultural universities. The comprehensive course covers four core competency areas of agriculture: Nutrient Management, Soil and Water Management, Pest Management, Crop Management; thus, leading to a CCA workforce with expertise in four broad areas. The certification establishes a high level of competency in all aspects of crop production through examination, continuous education, and experience and ethics requirement.

Launching the CCA program, the Chief Guest for the event, Mr. Kapil Mehan, Managing Director, Cormondal International Ltd. said, "This is a great effort by ISAP to start such certification course that will encourage professionals in shaping up meaningful careers in the areas of agriculture. The CCA course is designed to certify the Agriculture professionals as having the most up to date knowledge thus ensuring that the farmers get the best Farm Advisory possible".

The CCA Program was started by the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) in the 1991 and till date has more than 14,000 CCA's in the USA and Canada. The American Society of Agronomy is supported by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, World Bank and USAID through IRRI. The first examination in India was held in the month of December 2010 and there were more than 80 candidates who appeared for the examination from corporates and universities.

ABOUT ISAP:

Indian Society of Agribusiness Professionals (ISAP) is a non-government, non-profit organization incorporated in 2001, under Section 25 of the Indian Companies Act. It is a network of agriculture and allied sector professionals in India and developing countries. It is a growing network encompassing over 15,000 registered associate members, comprising 1500 Agri-Experts, 525 Partner NGOs, over 824 Individual users and more than 1050 researchers.


CONTACT DETAILS
Monish Mazumdar, Mutual Public Relations, New Delhi, +91 9810542491, monish@mutualpr.com

KEYWORDS
CONSUMER, SOCIAL, AGRICULTURE, BUSINESS SERVICES, MEDIA

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