A SESRIC delegation, led by H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK, paid a visit to the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) on 21 September 2023 at MARDI headquarters in Selangor, Malaysia.

Dr. Asfaliza Binti RAMLI, Deputy Director General of MARDI, expressed her profound gratitude for SESRIC delegation’s visit and praised the Centre’s efforts towards enhancing the agricultural sector in the OIC region.

H.E. SELÇUK expressed her appreciation to Dr. RAMLI for the warm welcome and for the opportunity to discuss ways to forge cooperation between MARDI and SESRIC. She highlighted the importance of working together to promote agricultural development and food security in OIC member countries.

During the meeting, H.E. SELÇUK presented an overview of SESRIC’s significant contributions to agricultural development and food security over the years. In addition, she elaborated on the Centre’s extensive range of published reports, which provide valuable insights and analysis on agricultural development, food security, and water resources management in OIC countries. Furthermore, H.E. SELÇUK underscored SESRIC’s endeavours in collecting and analyzing comprehensive data related to agro-economy, which contribute to informed decision-making processes enabling OIC countries to effectively tackle agricultural development and food security issues and promote inclusive growth.

The deliberations between the two parties highlighted the fruitful collaboration between SESRIC and MARDI in recent years under SESRIC’s Agriculture and Food Security Capacity Building Programme, which facilitated knowledge and expertise exchange among counterparts from different OIC member countries working in the agriculture sector.

Dr. RAMLI expressed MARDI’s eagerness to strengthen its ties with SESRIC. She praised SESRIC’s work in agricultural development and food security, recognizing the great potential for enhancing collaboration and new joint ventures. Dr. RAMLI reaffirmed MARDI’s willingness to actively contribute to SESRIC’s activities in relevant fields, aiming to foster sustainable agricultural activities and improve food security in Malaysia and across OIC member countries.

In closing, H.E. SELÇUK emphasized that by deepening ties and leveraging expertise, SESRIC can achieve greater outcomes that contribute to the development and well-being of the entire OIC community. Both parties concluded the meeting by expressing their readiness to develop and submit pertinent project proposals to the 11th Call for Project Proposals of COMCEC Project Funding in the upcoming period.

MARDI, a statutory body under the purview of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry of Malaysia, was established with a vision to be the preferred provider of innovative technologies for a sustainable and competitive agricultural industry by 2030, with the mission to drive agricultural productivity and sustainability through the transfer of modern, efficient and cost-effective technologies; strengthen financial resources, talent, facility and infrastructure for research and development and enhancing organizational visibility and good governance through effective, efficient, transparent and accountable management.