Research institutes under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Ghana say they will continue to provide cutting-edge technologies, particularly in agriculture and other key areas, to support Ghana and the West Africa sub-region.
This was one of the key messages of the regional planning meeting for research activities and projects of the Regional Center of Excellence on Root and Tuber Crops and the open day of the agricultural technology and innovation park in Fumesua, in the Ashanti region as part of the FSRP and iReach programs held from November 22 to 24, 2023.
“We are aiming to support the government policies to ensure that Ghana achieves the Sustainable Development Goal Two of zero hunger, and all others, but more importantly we aim to make sure food is available for all” said Prof Paul Pinnock Bosu, CSIR Director General.
“In this way, per the catalogue of the Varietal Release Committee, all the crop varieties that had been released in this country in the last eight years with over 120 to 150 agricultural technologies, about 90 percent have been released by CSIR with the Crops Research Institute (CRI) being a leader in the release of crop varieties.” he added.
The three-day regional planning meeting combined with the opening day showcased ready-to-use technologies developed by CSIR – Crops Research Institute (CRI) for farmers and agro-industry stakeholders in the root and tuber crop value chain. The CSIR director said that the technologies developed over the years were being used by farmers, attesting to the fact that investments made by Ghana and other donor partners in research and development had direct benefits for the population.
Technologies developed in root and tuber crops such as yam, cassava, sweet potato, taro and other products, as well as best agronomic practices and post-harvest technologies, were presented at the open day.
“CORAF will continue to develop proven technologies and innovations to serve as a one-stop shop for farmers, processors, policymakers and development partners. The aim is to increase the adoption of climate, nutrition and gender-smart technologies and innovations to strengthen the agricultural sector,” said Dr Nieyidouba Lamien, program manager at CORAF.
The planning meeting is also an opportunity to gain a common understanding of research progress and challenges in the root and tuber value chain. A regional action plan for research and development on root and tuber value chains was developed at the end of the meeting.