The Chadian Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (ITRAD) in cooperation with CORAF, organized from 07 to 08 December in Ndjamena a regional workshop on the creation of a National Centre of Specialization (NCoS) on Wheat in Chad.
The workshop is part of the World Bank-funded West Africa Food System Resilience Program (FSRP). Chad has identified three priority value chains, including wheat. Thus, the country mobilized resources around ITRAD, for the establishment of NCoS on wheat SNC, with the support of CORAF.
“The objective of this workshop is to bring together the actors of the wheat value chain, in order to reflect together to lay the groundwork for this National Centre of Specialization, and to initiate the process of its establishment. It is also a matter of making the state of research on the wheat value chain and sharing the experiences of other countries that have set up a NCoS,” said Dr Djondang Koye, representative of the Director General of ITRAD.
The representative recalled that the choice of Chad to host this National Center of Specialization on wheat, is not fortuitous. Formerly, Chad, through its polders of the Lake, was among the few countries in Africa, to produce and process wheat for the consumption.
The National Centre of Specialization on Wheat is building a synergy of actions of national and international institutions, on this theme for a search for excellence in order to develop a value chain and reduce the dependence of African countries on imports.
The development objective of the West Africa Food System Resilience Program is to increase preparedness against food insecurity and improve the resilience of food systems in participating countries. The program focuses on three thematic areas: digital advisory services for the prevention and management of agricultural and food crises; sustainability and adaptability of the productive base of the food system; and finally, market integration and trade.