On Thursday, October 19 took place the 2nd open day in 2023 of the agricultural technologies and innovations park of the Institute of Rural Economy (IER) in Mali. The aim of this event, which brought together stakeholders from the value chains of crop and associated crops, is clear and ambitious: to explore promising technologies and innovations that can transform agricultural production systems.
This 2nd open day 2023 of the agricultural technology and innovation park is part of the joint activities of the “Agricultural Technologies and Innovations for Increasing the Resilience of Production Systems and Family Farms in West and Central Africa (TARSPro)” and the West Africa Food System Resilience Program (FSRP).
“These programs are the result of collaboration between CORAF and its financial partners, namely the Swiss Development Cooperation and the World Bank. These two programs fit in perfectly with the Strategic Research Plan for the Development of the Agricultural Sector, and in particular with the strategic axes of the Malian government’s action program, which emphasizes the promotion of technology transfer through the establishment of a mechanism for the dissemination and valorization of research results“, explains Cheick TRAORA, representing Mali’s Minister of Agriculture at the open day.
Continuing, the Director General of the Institute of Rural Economy stressed that this open day of the Technology Park is a space for exchange between actors, offering the opportunity to share information on technologies and innovations developed by research, while gathering the needs of stakeholders. Note that the Technology Park exhibits cutting-edge technologies and innovations from agricultural value chains. These full-scale demonstrations are presented as showcases, allowing stakeholders to learn about them and adopt them to improve their own production systems.
Participants had the opportunity to visit and learn about the different crops of the Regional Agronomic Center, including millet, fonio, cowpea, peanuts, corn, soybeans, sesame, as well as food trees, fodder and vegetable products. They also explored the exhibition stands, enriching their knowledge of the latest technological advances and innovations that they could appropriate to improve their own production system.
Moreover, in a current context of great climate variability, the focus has also been on climate-smart, nutrition-sensitive and gender-sensitive technologies to be promoted to family farms. This approach demonstrates the commitment to a resilient and socially responsive agriculture.
This second edition of the open day of the agricultural technologies and innovations park of the Institute of Rural Economy has been a catalyst for the evolution of agricultural practices and the strengthening of production systems, demonstrating Mali’s dedication to a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable agricultural future.
As a reminder, the TARSPRO Program, spread over a total period of 12 years in three successive 04-year phases, stems from a partnership agreement signed on November 30, 2020 between CORAF and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Its overall objective is to ensure food, nutrition, and economic security for the people of West and Central Africa.