IICA supports agricultural innovation in Paraguay – donating equipment to install the first subsidiary of the Interpretive Center for Tomorrow’s Agriculture at the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Universidad Nacional de Asunción (UNA)
Asunción, Paraguay, 9 September 2024 (IICA) – The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) has donated technological equipment to the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences (FCV) at the Universidad Nacional de Asunción (UNA), for the installation of the first subsidiary of the Interpretive Center for Tomorrow’s Agriculture (CIMAG) outside of IICA Headquarters in Costa Rica, thereby supporting agricultural innovation in Paraguay.
The handover ceremony at UNA—Paraguay’s principal university—was held at the university’s Faculty of Veterinary Sciences Library. Key participants included UNA’s President, Zully Vera de Molinas; the Dean of the FCV, Viviana María Ríos Morínigo; Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Art, José Insfrán; Paraguay’s Deputy Minister of Livestock, Marcelo González; the Director General of IICA, Manuel Otero, and IICA Representative in Paraguay, Gabriel Rodríguez, among other authorities.
In speaking at the event, the IICA Director General described the technological equipment as a strategic investment in the future of the faculty and in the potential of its students and researchers, as it will bolster research capacities and facilitate practical learning in veterinary medicine and agriculture.
The donated equipment includes educational drones, 3D printers, virtual reality goggles, tablets, touch screens and computers, for use as gaming tools for apps such as Minecraft and for Lego robotic equipment. The technology will enable students to prepare and develop flight plans, simulate agricultural scenarios and access information on farming best practices, to foster efficient and sustainable production.
Otero explained that, “IICA aims to support sustainable agricultural development and technological innovation. We believe that education and research are the pillars on which we can build a more solid, efficient and sustainable future for agriculture. Thus, we are delighted to contribute to the creation of a space that will assist this academic institution to lead the way in developing the agriculture of tomorrow”.
The President of UNA thanked IICA for the donation and stressed that the Institute’s contribution would prove critical in transforming agrifood systems in the Americas and attracting new generations to studies in agricultural and veterinary sciences.
Dean Ríos remarked that, “We have been working with IICA since 1985 and that organization plays a vital role in a country whose agriculture sector accounts for 7 out of every 10 dollars produced. Rural areas have a future, and this future will be better thanks to our collaboration”.
Among the donated items, 3D printers will facilitate the development of prototypes for application in agriculture and livestock farming, for example through the use of sensors and data processing equipment to facilitate decision making.
Emmanuel Picado, Manager of IICA’s Information and Communication Technology and Digital Agriculture Division, who will oversee the installation of the equipment and training in its use, said that, “We trust that this equipment will enable the upcoming generations to learn, develop and innovate; to generate solutions to real problems; and to address the various needs of rural areas”.
CIMAG was officially launched in 2019 at IICA Headquarters in Costa Rica.
The center is the jewel in the crown of the “IICA of Open Doors” program, a group of facilities that prioritize and promote the role of agriculture as a mainstay of environmentally friendly economic and social development. The 400 square meter facility houses agricultural and applied technology exhibits, featuring augmented reality and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Among the technologies showcased at the center, virtual reality is used to create models on climate behavior and crop yield and artificial intelligence facilitates interaction with chatbots, to find out about production best practices. Touch screens enable access to information on agriculture in various regions of the Americas.
Moreover, animations based on open-world or sandbox games allow visitors to CIMAG to simulate the management of production units and to make decisions regarding fertilizers, soil use and cultivation. They can also access aerial views of their farms and take decisions with respect to cultivation, harvesting, collection, distribution and waste management.
This year, “IICA of Open Doors” expects to receive 15,000 visitors, most of them students, thus fulfilling its mission to spark the interest of upcoming generations in agriculture, while opening the doors of the agricultural and rural development organization to the community, through projects that create an awareness of the future, innovation and the transformation of agriculture in the Americas.
More information:
Orlando Giménez, Communications and Operations Assistant, IICA Paraguay