Two proposals from JIRCAS have been provisionally selected1 for FY 2021 SATREPS (Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development) project, which is a collaboration between the Japan Science Technology Agency (JST) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) supported by MEXT and MOFA.

The President of the Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency (FRA), Dr. NAKAYAMA Ichiro, visited JIRCAS on May 20, 2021 and exchanged opinions with JIRCAS President KOYAMA Osamu and other executive staff. The two presidents, who took office in April this year, introduced the new structure of their respective organizations in response to the newly launched 5th Medium to Long-term Plan.

BNI technology was featured in the “Green Food System Strategy” to achieve both productivity and sustainability of food, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries industries through innovation.

The proceedings of the JIRCAS-FFTC International Rice Blast Workshop held on September 18, 2020 have been published and now available for downloaded from the FFTC website.

The Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Liaison Office in Japan, Ms. HIBI Eriko, and Senior Advisor MITSUGI Hiroto visited JIRCAS on April 16, 2021 and exchanged opinions on strengthening cooperation with President KOYAMA Osamu and JIRCAS Special Advisor Dr. IWANAGA Masa.

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Burkina Paso, His Excellency Mr. Pascal Batjobo, visited JIRCAS on April 20, 2021 and exchanged opinions with President Koyama and other executive staff.

Dr. TSUJIMOTO Yasuhiro, Project Leader and Senior Researcher of the Crop, Livestock and Environment Division, received the 18th Japanese Society of Crop Science Best Paper Award for the paper titled “Challenges and opportunities for improving N use efficiency for rice production in sub-Saharan Africa”.

JIRCAS has published a manual for preparation of silage and fermented TMR based on the results of livestock research in the “Food Security in Africa”project in southern Mozambique.
The manual provides reference information that can help local researchers and farmers understand and utilize agricultural by-product resources as livestock feed. 

Dr. Marcy N. Wilder, Project Leader of the Fisheries Division received the Japanese Society of Fisheries Science Award for 2021 in recognition of her outstanding achievements relating to biochemical/physiological research on mechanisms of reproduction, molting, and osmoregulation in commercially-important shrimp species and the development of new aquaculture technology.

As of April 1, 2021, JIRCAS started the five-year period of its Fifth Medium to Long-term Plan (FY2021 to 2025). With the renewal of the administrative organization, Mr. KOYAMA Osamu (the former Vice President) has been appointed as the new President and successor of former President Dr. IWANAGA Masa.