This open day has been an integral part of ongoing integration of the global system of research and extension of technologies as a whole and the sub-region in particular. It started with the West African Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP).
WAAPP is a multi-year effort to transform West African agriculture by boosting productivity and sustainability, reducing hunger and improving nutrition, creating jobs and supporting collaboration across borders.
The 13 participating countries of WAAPP are: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. It was supported by World Bank and coordinated by CORAF. ECOWAS and the African Union provided agriculture and rural development frameworks for WAAPP. National Ministries of Agriculture and various producer organizations from participating countries implement and coordinate the program. This program looked at the comparative advantage of the individual countries and assigned commodities to them as a National Centre of Specialization of the commodity which develop into Regional Centers of Excellence. With of course, able support of CORAF and its partners. In Ghana, CSIR-Crops Research Institute and its allies were the National Centre of Specialization for Root and Tubers which metamorphosized into RCOe with able support of CORAF, after upgrading its infrastructure (human and capital) and its processes. Numerous technologies were developed and disseminated within and without the countries.
Through, Food Systems Resilience Programme which is coming on soon and Innovative Research and Extension Advisory and Coordination Hub (IREACH).
Background: As you are aware, CORAF is an international non-profit association of the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) in twenty-three West and Central African countries, and USAID is one of its donors. The primary objective of CORAF is to improve livelihoods in West and Central Africa through sustainable increases in agricultural production and productivity, as well as to promote competitiveness and market access. CORAF is implementing a programme under Innovative Research and Extension Advisory Hub (IREACH), with USAID as a sponsor and CSIR-Crops Research Institute as a sub-awardee.
Aim: This programme aims to show case ready-to-go technologies from the West African sub-region. In Ghana, Agricultural Technology Park has been established in Kumasi with satellite site at CSIR-SARI, Tamale. A total of 21 (twenty-one) technologies are being showcased. Training sites for training stakeholders all year round.
Venue: CSIR-Crops Research Institute Campus, Kumasi (Main Field), CSIR-Savannah Agricultural Research Institute, SARI, Nyakpala, Tamale (Satellite Site)
Date: October 7, 2022
Time: 8-9 am Registration
9-12 noon Launching
2-4pm Business to Business Session
The world is at crossroads. Do we pursue the broad way of nationalism and parochial interest which surely lead to destruction and extinction of the human race or follow narrow way of cooperation for our mutual good. Indeed, we survived all die together. Partners: The world is global village. It is the light of this that all well meaning of the world should mobilize their resources (manpower, infrastructure and technologies) to give hope to humanity. It gives me a great joy to see a great team consisting of our sponsor USAID with coordination of CORAF bringing the national agricultural research systems (NARIs) of West Africa and partnership such as Kansas State University coming together demonstrate tried and tested technologies.
These technologies are from maize, cowpea, peanut and root and tubers crops such as yam, cassava, sweetpotatoes, and cocoyam and taros and range from seeds, good agronomic practices through varieties to post harvest technologies. Indeed, they can be adapted for other crops. We have brought together business men and women, farmers, scientists, processors among other to jaw-jaw of how these technologies could be exploited for the good of humanity, these will be manifested after the tours and Business to Business session that will follow after the tours.
Sponsors: Special appreciation to our donor, USAID for both financial and technical support. Secondly our coordinator, CORAF and its partners for their immense work bringing us together as sub-region. We are grateful. iREACH Advisory Committee for steering the development of Agricultural Technology Parks. Our partners IITA, Africa Rising and Paired Project, we say a big Thank you
