October–December 2014

Issue No. 008

AfDB

Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops in Africa

AFDB Supervisory Mission scores SARD-SC project high on implementation

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AfDB officials and SARD-SC project staff in a meeting.

The African Development Bank (AFDB) recently undertook its third supervisory mission to the IITA/SARD-SC project from 1 to 10 December 2014 in Ibadan. The project funded by the Bank was scored high on implementation across all the commodity value chains of cassava, Maize, Rice and wheat. The members of the team comprising of Dr. Jonas Chianu, Principal Agricultural Economist and the project’s Task Manager; Mr. Baba Abdullai, Principal Procurement Officer and Mr. Olufemi Ojo-Fajuyi, Financial Management Consultant commended the project management unit for working towards achieving the project’s target objectives.

In the course of the mission, the team paid a courtesy visit to Dr. Kenton Dashiell, Deputy Director- General, Partnership and Capacity Building, IITA, and briefed him on the Mission’s terms of Reference. The DDG welcomed them and expressed his pleasure on the reported progress of the SARD-SC project. He also assured the team of the readiness of the IITA’s senior management to do all that is necessary to ensure that the project delivers its planned outputs and impacts.

The members of the mission listened to project implementation presentations and they held several discussions with the various management and project implementation teams from the executing

agency (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture) and the implementing institutions (AfricaRice and International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). Most of the PIU staff of the three key project implementing institutions (IITA, AfricaRice and ICARDA) were well represented at the supervisory mission.

The mission activities kicked off with a comprehensive presentation by Dr. Chrys Akem, SARD-SC Project coordinator, on project achievement updates on the four commodity value chains. The presentation addressed all the components as well as procurement and financial executions of the project and were followed by informal discussions with the commodity specialists, also in attendance, to get clarifications on various aspects of project implementation.

The members of the Mission visited completed and ongoing project funded civil works on the IITA campus, which included the completed Maize Warehouse and Cold store, and the under-construction Cassava Processing and Equipment Fabrication facilities. Following the facilities visits, they also reviewed relevant project documents on the execution of physical, financial and procurement aspects of the project.

The team made some key observations on the project implementation status, especially their satisfaction on significant improvements in project implementation across all the commodity value chains of cassava, maize, rice and wheat; as well as within the different components (technology and innovation generation, technology and innovation dissemi-nation, capacity building and efficient project management).

They also observed that efforts to achieve the various targets set for the different indicators show that the project is on track. The disbursement rate of the project, they noted is currently over 35% which is a good rate for such a complex project at its current level of implementation. They expected this to increase further in 2015 following the payments of the pending full cost recovery bills for the various implementation centers for 2013 and 2014.

The ten –day Supervisory Mission was concluded by the signing of the project’s Aide Memoire by Mrs. Hilde koper-Limbourg, Head of Project Administration, on behalf of Dr. Kenton Dashiell, while Dr. Jonas Chianu signed on behalf of the Bank.

Hilda Koper in a warm handshake with Dr Jonas Chianu after signing the Aide Memoire.

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Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops in Africa

Project Coordinator and Supervising Editor Dr Chrys Akem

EditorAdebola AdewoleCommunications Officer, SARD-SC Project

Production and printing IITA Communication Office

www.sard-sc.org

Funded by African Development Bank (AfDB)

Contents

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1. Cassava 1–72. Maize 8–124. Rice 13–143. Wheat 15 –16

Cassava value chain team assesses achievements and develops work plans and budgets “The whole purpose of annual reviews is to keep you abreast of whether or not you are fulfilling the requirements of tenure,” Norman Finkelstein, Political Scientist. For this reason, the SARD-SC project of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, held a three-day Cassava Value chain Review and Planning meeting from 20 to 24 October 2014, in Bagamoyo, Tanzania, to review project achievements in 2014; develop work plans, and budget and procurement plans for 2015, and discuss other pertinent issues.

While welcoming participants from all SARD-SC cassava value chain countries as well as partners from NARS and other stakeholders, Dr Chrys Akem, the Project Coordinator spoke on some project issues such as the baseline survey conducted by IFPRI in Zambia which seemed to be a duplication of effort. Throwing more light on the issue, he affirmed that the information captured earlier was insufficient, hence the need for a supplementary survey to fill the gaps.

He proposed Innovation Platform training for the cassava value chain implementation team so as to have a common understanding of how IPs should be run. Among some of the recommendations Dr Akem made to the cassava team, was the need to focus on areas of their work which can bring about tangible results, such as processing and infrastructural development and fabrication of processing equipment.

He shared areas of impact from other project value chains such as nutrient management, machine prototypes, and infrastructural development such as the construction of a training center in Senegal by AfricaRice. He also highlighted the wheat value chain achievements with the release of a number of high yielding wheat cultivars in different wheat

hubs. He encouraged the engagement of youth groups in Innovation Platform activities, especially those that could result in quick impact for the project.

The various cassava value chain team members, led by the Commodity Specialist, Dr Marie Yomeni, made presentations which were followed by both group and open floor discussions to review achievements of the cassava value chain for the year 2014. They also developed work plans, and budgets and procurement plans for 2015 and reviewed cassava output indicators to be considered during project midterm review evaluations. All these were geared towards achieving the project outputs/outcomes so as to foster better understanding of the SARD-SC cassava value chain.

The devastating impact of Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD), a viral disease affecting some of the SARD-SC cassava countries was an important issue discussed at the meeting. It was agreed that there is a need to develop a strategy on how to take care of this and other cassava viral diseases, with immediate use of project resources to multiply and disseminate available resistant cassava varieties to affected areas in the different countries.

Mr Seyi Fashokun, Project Accountant, presented a summary of uses of funds by component, and reviewed the 2014 budget and expenditure by component as at 31 August 2014. As a result of lateness of financial reports from other SARD-SC centers, it was suggested that the Project Accountant should consider holding regular training sessions for commodity accountants in order to bring them up to speed on AfDB financial reporting, so that they can have a common understanding of project fund management and submit reports on time.

Dr Yomeni Marie making a presentation at the cassava planning meeting.

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Project partners trained on food safety and sensory evaluation in DR CongoFor the purpose of testing the quality and consumers’ acceptability of cassava products and cassava flour, the SARD-SC project organized a training workshop on “Food Safety” and “Sensory Evaluation.” The training was held at the IITA-Kalambo station, DR Congo, from 10 to18 October 2014. It was facilitated by Dr Emmanuel Alamu and Ms Ronke Popoola of the Crop Utilization Laboratory IITA Headquarters, Ibadan and Mrs Bintu Ndusah of the Microbiology Laboratory, IITA-DRC, Kalambo station. Twelve participants from various research institutes, the National Nutrition Program (PRONANUT), and local associations attended the training. Also in attendance was Mr Roger Ndiruhirwe, the provincial leader of PRONANUT, who represented the DR Congo Minister of Health.

The training was declared open by Dr Marie Yomeni, the project Cassava Commodity Specialist, who stressed the importance of ensuring food processed in the cassava processing factory meet hygienic and food safety standards. Therefore, it became imperative to have teams who would ensure foods met the stipulated hygienic conditions. The foods were tested for bacterial contamination in the microbiology laboratory of IITA Kalambo station.

The other aspect of the training was on the sensory evaluation of foods. This is the study of food appreciation for improving their acceptability to potential consumers in order to promote their consumption. Combining aspects of food safety with that of the sensory evaluation, Dr Alamu said would improve the quality of foods produced at the SARD-SC cassava processing center and at other the stations.

Mr Roger Ndiruhirwe praised IITA’s initiative for contributing to solving the major problem of child malnutrition in South Kivu province; therefore, he commended the

selection of the trainees from all walks of life. He expressed the hope that everyone would benefit from the training provided by the IITA experts from Nigeria.

After this speech, the IITA/Kalambo station Administrator Mr Delvaux addressed the participants and commended the SARD-SC project for sponsoring the training.

All matters related to food safety and the analyses of microbiological tests on foods in accordance with the accepted international standards were discussed.

For the sensory evaluation of food, the theoretical aspect was followed by practical demonstrations. Some of the examples mentioned during the training are the foods made from the cassava and soybean flour. Using this flour to bake has introduced forty different recipes of confectionery to the community. During the practical part of the training, participants made some recipes from soy and cassava flour, supervised by Ms Ronke Popoola.

At Kalambo station, samples were made taken from soybean milk and cassava flour.

The collected samples were taken to the microbiology laboratory and were cultured for bacteria and fungi and identification of other bacteria, such as salmonella, Shigella, and Eschrichia coli in accordance with international standards on food control. After the cultivation, samples were collected from processed milk from soybean, while participants assessed the results of the cultivation.

The team visited the processing centers of two partner organizations of the IITA/SARD-SC project; GRADEM (Sound Management of Natural Resources and Action for the Defense of Minorities) and ACOSYF (Cooperative Association of Women Synergy).

GRADEM is active in Ibanda/Bukavu and Ibanga, while ACOSYF has its soybean processing factory within the Bagira region. Samples for microbiological analysis of soybean milk during processing were taken at each of these two organizations and were taken to the Kalambo microbiology laboratory. The results are yetto be released.

After collecting the samples, participants returned to the station at Kalambo where

Dr Alamu Oladeji during one of his lectures.

Participants visiting the Gradem processing center. Participants carrying out microbial analysis of food samples.

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a discussion was held in order to assess the hygienic preparation and the nutritional value of soymilk produced in the two local organizations, GRADEM and ACOSYF.

Sensory evaluation This is an assessment of the food, making use of the five human senses of sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch, and the texture of foods.

The sensory evaluation of food has two main aspects; product evaluation and assessment. The assessment is often carried out by experts while evaluation is done by the consumer and does not require any expertise. The possibility of replacing wheat flour with High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) in biscuit making was investigated during the training. Cookies/cassava biscuits were made from HQCF

and from wheat flour and sensory evaluation tests were carried out in order to have the opinion of consumers of these biscuits. Several elements were sought to assess the appreciation/acceptability of the products which are appearance/color, aroma, texture, taste, and overall acceptability. Appreciation/acceptability could be expressed in terms of a 9, 7, 5 or 3 point rating/scale ranging from higher to lower or vice versa.

For example, on the 5-point rating scale, 5 = like very much; 4 = like slightly; 3 = neither like nor dislike; 2 = dislike slightly; and 1 = dislike very much.

It was stated in the training that acceptability or preferences of several products could also be expressed by ranking/scoring the products. For three different products, a score of 3 could be given to the product that

was liked most, a score of 2 to the product that was liked moderately, and a score of 1 to the product that was liked slightly. The people involved in the tests showed much interest in the biscuits made from HQCF.

The consumer acceptability/preference study was done on cassava strips in a large enough environment to assess the acceptability of the best recipe. This could help potential small-scale manufacturers of this product to know the most acceptable product and this would improve their revenue.

The basic knowledge of sensory evaluation can allow manufacturers to modify food recipes from the point of view/opinion of consumers and thus improve the performance of the business as the views of customers on the products could be addressed appropriately.

Participants during the sensory evaluation.

Trials conducted to address farmers’ problems in cultivating cassava in DRCIn order to address some of the problems encountered by local farmers in the cultivation of cassava crops, the SARD-SC project’s cassava team in DR Congo initiated studies on the “Most limiting nutrients for cassava production and productivity in three major ecologies of DR Congo” and “Effects of different plant densities and leaf harvest frequencies on root and leaf yields of four cassava varieties in three agroecological zones of DR Congo.”

The studies were the subjects of the trials carried out in the project’s areas of intervention in South Kivu and Orientale province and the Bas Congo province of DR Congo. The trials were carried out on Nutrient omission, Leaf harvest, and fertilizer from December 2013 to December 2014. The results of the harvest were impressive.

Data on growth parameters were collected during the crop cycle as expected in the protocols, so harvesting occurred

12 months after planting, and data on performance parameters were collected for statistical analyses in order to make recommendations or offer solutions to the problems identified.

Based on general observations on the growth and yield different treatments, the following trends have been observed:

- On Nutrient omission: the NPK treatment under the climatic conditions of the Katogota site responded better than other treatments.

- The 2001/1661 variety performed better in terms of yield and tolerance to pests and diseases than the other two varieties in the study.

Leaf harvest: General trends show that the 2001/1661 variety planted in 1 m x 1 m without cutting the leaves gives good results.

Some of the cassava produced by DRC farmers.

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Tanzania team presents project’s areas of cooperation with Kigoma regionThe IITA/SARD-SC Tanzania team attended the Kigoma Regional Consultative Council (RCC) meeting, which took place on Wednesday, 5 November 2014, to present the project’s activities and areas of cooperation with the local authority. The project was represented by Dr Veronica Uzokwe, Agronomist and Mr Ferdinand Nachenga, while the meeting was presided over by the Honorable Commissioner for Kigoma Region, Lt Col Issa Machibya.

Representing Dr Adebayo Abass, IITA/SARD-SC Country Coordinator, Dr Uzokwe spoke on various activities of the project in the region, explaining the reason, status, and areas of intervention through the cassava value chain.

She said the need to enhance food and nutrition security and contribute to poverty reduction in Kigoma was the major objective of the project. “To improve productivity, the project will scale out good agricultural technologies to the region from its research and development programs being implemented. The project will also scale out technology of best agronomic practices to mother and baby plots, intercropping trials, and herbicides for weed management. In addition, about 15 acres of elite cassava varieties have

Col Issa Machibya delivering a paper.

been planted and for 2015, the project is planning to establish about 20 acres of clean cassava cuttings for cassava value chain actors in Kigoma,” she said.

In order to have value-added cassava products, Uzokwe stated that the project has embarked on construction and renovation of cassava processing centers, while food processors are being trained in the region. Work is also ongoing in various processing group sites in Kibondo and Kakonko (KBPG, KIEMA, and UMOJA), and interested people are being trained on how to process High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF), and cassava production and starch processing by the Agricomats Company Ltd in Uvinza.

She also revealed that the SARD-SC project plans to reach more than 1000 farmers in Kigoma region with production practices to increase cassava production and productivity. This will be done gradually through the innovation platform that has already been established in the region. There are plans to ensure that all cassava produced by the small-scale farmers is processed into HQCF by project-trained processors. Therefore, cassava farmers will also be linked to these processors to provide a market for farmers’ produce.

Uzokwe concluded that the project also aims at building a strong market linkage between the traders, farmers, and processors in the region.

The IITA/SARD-SC Tanzania team was one of the over 100 stakeholders invited to the meeting from different parts of the country, who are contributing to the development of Kigoma region. The invitation was on the strength of the project’s various activities on the development and promotion of the cassava value chain in the region. In the recent past, the project launched the Innovation Platform (IP) for the cassava value chain (CVC) in Kigoma, shortly after training actors on IP formation for the CVC took place.

Stakeholders trained on cassava postharvest technologies and products developmentThe SARD-SC Tanzania team in collaboration with the Zanzibar Agricultural Research Institute (ZARI), Kizimbani, has trained small-scale cassava processors in Zanzibar on postharvest technologies and product development. The training took place on the 2 March 2015 with 34 participants (22 females and 12 males) who included cassava farmers, processors, traders/transporters, extension officers, and a representative from the Ministry of Agriculture and Tourism.

Ms. Fatuma H. Khamis, who represented the Director of ZARI-Kizimbani, Mr Haji

Saleh, declared the training open. In her speech, Ms. Khamis expressed her gratitude to the IITA/SARD-SC project for choosing to train the stakeholders for free on aspects of the cassava value chain.

She called on the participants to take advantage of the opportunity to enhance their knowledge and skills so that they can also become trainers for others who did not have the opportunity to attend.

The training was one of the project’s ways of disseminating technologies and building

the capacity of stakeholders on cassava postharvest technologies and product development. Specifically, the training sought to build the capacity of the participants on proper cassava harvesting, grading and packaging procedures, storage of the harvested cassava, processing of high quality cassava flour, and utilization of cassava products (preparation of cassava recipes).

The training included presentations, observation, and practical experiences.Topics such as introduction to postharvest technologies, postharvest losses (causes of

Participants practicing different steps of processing cassava flour.

Cassava product recipes prepared by participants.

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Dr. Chalwe, partner from ZARI, explaining a point to farmers during the field day in Mansa District.

Demonstration fields ginger Zambian farmers’ interest in improved cassava varietiesSARD-SC Cassava project in Zambia has generated a huge interest among farmers through the dissemination of improved varieties. One hectare demonstration fields have been established in the five project sites

in Zambia namely: Mansa, Samfya Kasama, Serenje and Kaoma districts. The number of cassava demonstration farms established is 19 with a total of 13.75 hectares cropped during the 2013/14 season. The demonstration

fields are used during farmer field days in the project sites to create awareness about the improved cassava varieties. . As a result, this has generated interest among members of the community where the plots are located as well as the surrounding communities.

Field days organized on 1ha cassava fields serve as information bureaus and a platform for teaching and showing community members that cassava can be grown successfully on large fields with the right management practices such as timely planting and weeding. The main improved cassava varieties being promoted include Mweru, Banguelu and Chila.

Maintenance and weeding of 18 demo farms established last (2013/14) agricultural season is being done. Planting of large cassava production field demonstration sites has been increased for the 2014/15 season. The target number of cassava demonstration farms planned is 20.

Each district is expected to have 5 hectares of demo farms. So far one demo farm of one hectare has been established in Mansa, Samfya and Mansa districts respectively. Whereas in Serenje district 3ha has been planted on three demo farms. This brings the total hectarage of 1 ha demonstration farms to 19.75ha and the total number of farms to 24. During the current planting season, the demand from individual farmers and farmer groups to establish demonstration fields has increased and the planting materials demand of the improved varieties has also increased in all the project areas.

postharvest losses), control of postharvest losses, harvesting procedure, and grading and packaging were covered. Participants were taught how to process high quality cassava flour using a grater and presser. They were then given the opportunity to process cassava flour by following the given procedures.

Participants were also instructed on how to prepare different cassava recipes and were assigned responsibilities of making cassava cakes, buns, chin-chin, spongy cake, fried cassava, spicy cassava porridge, and cassava rice mixed with spices (pilau) in their respective groups.

This training lasted for three days. The trainees expressed their gratitude to the IITA/SARD-SC project for organizing the training. “This training has strengthened our knowledge on postharvest technologies and

product development. It is a huge success as it opened up our understanding on issues related to the diverse use of cassava which has opened more avenues of generating income through selling processed cassava products instead of relying on raw cassava only. We will surely put the training into practice to start generating more income,” said Ms Mwajuma Ally Mwinyi (a farmer from Makaje Village) on behalf of the other participants.

The participants said the participatory approach used at all levels of the training had stimulated them and enhanced their willingness to acquire more knowledge and share ideas. Mr Issa Haji, a farmer from Bambi village, on behalf of the participants said, “I would like to promise you and the IITA/SARD-SC project in general that we will utilize the skills and knowledge acquired from this training and empower others who did not attend whenever we get a chance to do so.”

Participants preparing cassava snacks.

Farmers’ field day in Serenje Mambilima Agricultural camp.

Peeled cassava.

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Cassava Value Chain Innovation Platform Launched in Kigoma and DodomaThe IITA SARD-SC Tanzania team launched the innovation platform cassava value chain in Kigoma and Dodoma regions. The launching was officially declared open by the Regional Commissioner for Kigoma Region, Lt. Col. Issa Machibya. The Cassava Innovation Platform has been supporting small- and large-scale cassava production and processing in Tanzania, especially in the SARD-SC project sites of Kigoma, Dodoma, Zanzibar, and Mkuranga. Increasing the number of disease-free cassava planting materials has been a major focus of the IITA SARD-SC project. Cassava is now being recognized as an important crop in Kigoma and Dodoma and is also becoming a cash crop.

The platform is an avenue for cassava stakeholders to identify their needs. The IP will look at all areas that will contribute to making cassava a cash crop as well as developing high-yielding varieties to increase farmers’ income and improve the livelihoods of low-income earners. In this case, marketing cassava and its produce will also be a critical area of study for the IP.

In addition, advancement stage points in the utilization of new learning from distinctive stakeholders in building the cassava supply chain and creating enhanced trainings of the actors in the cassava value chain. The Cassava Innovation Platform is Overall development of the platform was designed by stakeholders/participants through the assessment of existing pathways with respect to cassava product and the practice as they influence the cassava produce quality and increase the value of make them more acceptable in in the market.

The participants realized the importance of keeping in mind the project goal to increase income through value addition. Moreover, the expansion and creation of this cassava IP will also reduce or stop importation of cassava products and increase exportation of cassava products to neighboring countries as Tanzania remains the food basket of the region.

An election was conducted to select the IP steering committee members at provincial level. The facilitator, Mr Brice Gbaguidi emphasized that it was important for the IP steering committee to make a business plan, while following up with identified entry points and target areas along the cassava value chain in Kigoma Region. At the same time the steering committee should recognize the IP’s strength, given the opportunity they have in their respective areas to overcome the weaknesses and threats they face in order to make the cassava value chain work effectively.

The platform members also discussed the need to establish a strong relationship and credibility with the government through the Ministry of Agriculture.

The second launching of an Innovation Platform was held in Dodoma. Cassava had not been a priority crop in Dodoma, therefore stakeholders in the cassava value chain were motivated by the launching and looked forward to industrializing the crop in the region.

A cross section of participants.

Group picture of participants at the launching of the IPs.

Participants of the IP in a day training session with Kigoma Regional Commissioner, Hon Lt Issa Machibya.

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Improving technology deployment and soil health for enhanced performance of the Maize Innovation Platform in Nigeria

Maize

The SARD-SC maize value chain has committed itself to improving the productivity of maize-based systems and utilization across target countries in order to raise farmers’ income and contribute to poverty reduction in Africa.

Efforts of the project in Nigeria are focused on site-specific constraints identified during community analysis and baseline surveys and on harnessing the opportunities inherent in each of the sixty project communities.

The Innovation Platform (IP) approach that leverages on jointly developed business plans had been adopted for the execution of the project activities. The IP concept warrants the involvement of several stakeholders, some of who are outside the target communities. The products and services of such stakeholders are intrinsically linked to opportunities for elevating income and livelihood prospects of project communities hence they had to be factored in the operations of the IP.

During the year 2014 under review, efforts were made to continue the development of three IPs established in addition to sustaining human capital development and demonstration of novel technologies which are supportive pillars for maize value chain performance improvement in accordance with the strategic goal of the SARD-SC Project. Activities of the project during the year remained aligned to the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government of Nigeria and also to the strategic objectives of key establishments within the country such as the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) and the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC).

This report provides a brief of the activities and some of the results obtained across the three IPs in the country during the year 2014.

Baseline profile of project sites in NigeriaIn order to situate the project intervention within a broader interest of served communities, rigorous profiling and community analysis were undertaken which enabled improved understanding of the inter-related issues factored into the implementation of activities aimed at promoting solutions to the myriad problems identified. From the baseline studies, we noted that awareness and use of improved

1. Profile of the IPs in Nigeria. able 1. Profile of the IPs in Nigeria.IP Ecology States LGAs Communities Category Sudan /NGS

Zamfara Tsafe and Bungudu

Tabanni, Unguwan Duniya, Kadamutsawa, Kwaren Tsauni, Tambake, Gidan Dawa, Langa-langa, Bayan Banki, Fegin Dan Marke and Fegin Baza

Low–Medium

intensity

NGS Katsina Faskari and Funtua

Ruwan Godiya, Sheme, Unguwar Barau, Unguwar Maikarwa, Kurmi Boka, Gardawa, Layin Gara, Unguwar Kwana guga, Unguwar Dan Mallam, Unguwar Dahiru

Medium Intensity

NGS Kaduna Zango Kataf and Jema’a

Magamiya, Smaru Kataf, Mabushi, Fadan Kaje, Ma-dakiya, Fori, Gigiri, Asso, Kusom, Ngaskiya (10)

High Intensity

SSG Nassarawa Kokona and Karu

Sabon Gida, Kokona, Angwan Doka, Kofar, Bakin Ayini, Angwan Tanko, Tundu Uku, Gitata, Gidan Koro, Kankanya (10)

High Intensity

SSG Kwara Moro & Asa Jehunkunnu, Yeregi, Adio, Elemere, Arobadi, Pampo, Magaji Aladele. Ajuwon, Lasoju, Bi Elesin (10)

Medium Intensity

SSG Oyo Oyo North & Saki West

Tenleke, Imua, Wasangare, Alabafe, Wasangare Seko-na, Wasangare Oja, Odo Oba, Aba Ilero, Olugbemi, Aba Daniel, Ilado (10)

Medium Intensity

Total 6 10 60

maize technologies were low (Fig. 2). Less than 40% were aware and used improved seeds of open-pollinated varieties (OPVs) and hybrids. Almost 70% of the farmers rely on basal application of fertilizer which they rarely access.

Soil health had deteriorated drastically within the last five years making fertilizer use imperative. Despite this, less than 30% use organic manure while about 40% are aware of the value of maize-egume rotation as a strategy to rejuvenate soil fertility. Manual shelling of maize and local methods of grain storage which lent itself to widespread damage by insects remained popular. Poverty is widespread (Fig. 1) in the target communities where almost 80% of households live below the established food security threshold and about 20% fall within the severe food insecurity index.

The prevailing circumstances of the farmers in the project communities offer considerable

opportunities for operationalizing the concept of IPs. Considerable insights provided during community analysis (Fig. 3) underlined the need to promote intervention/development activities with better access to improved seeds of high-yielding, early-maturing, and drought-tolerant maize varieties/hybrids that have resistance to endemic pests and diseases especially stem borers and fungal diseases.

Excellent taste and high marketability were some of the critical factors IP communities also listed. It is instructive to note from the result, that access to improved seeds need to be situated within farmers’ concerns for appropriate pricing. This probably evokes the need to balance business interests of the providers of this resource and the farmers’ capability which may warrant initial price bridging (cushioning) incentives to encourage over 80% of the famers at project communities that expressed concerns over the cost of improved seeds.

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Maize outputs by states constituting IPs in NigeriaNigeria is a major maize producing and consuming country in Africa, accounting for about 30% of the maize area on the continent (DTMA 2014). Although only about 21% of maize area is under sole cropping (Fig. 4), access to inputs including land and soil health conditions determine maize-based enterprises and crop components in maize fields.

In recent times decreased soil fertility has compelled many farmers to contemplate innovative options that can improve soil fertility as well as raise productivity of maize. It is not uncommon for farmers to shift to less productive crops in instances where access to fertilizers is uncertain. Indeed, maize area and output have progressively increased in Nigeria over the last 10 years. The six states that constitute the three maize IPs in Nigeria account for 18.6% of the 10.39 million tons of maize output in Nigeria in 2013 and 18.72% of the 10.99 million tons produced in 2014 (NAERLS and FDAE 2014).

Among the six states, Kaduna State has the largest area devoted (Fig. 7) to maize production and this also is reflected in its maize output. While production endowments vary remarkably between the states, production constraints are essentially similar but vary mainly in magnitude allowing for partial replication of intervention strategies.

Across the IPs, improving soil health and ensuring access to quality seeds of high yield potential remain an elusive aspiration of the farmers. One of the priorities under the SARD-SC Project is to deploy innovative options aimed at upgrading endogenous capacity to sustainably stem the deterioration of soil fertility and provisions of farmers’ preferred high yield OPVs and hybrids which have multi-stress tolerance relevant to project communities.

Figure 4. Maize cropping systems in Nigeria

Figure 1. Food security estimates (in %) of households at maize IPs in Nigeria.

Figure 2. Status of use of maize technologies at IPs in Nigeria.

Figure 3. Factors determining farmers' use of maize varieties in Nigeria.

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Agriculture in Nigeria is intrinsically linked to the culture of the people and traditional beliefs. The soil is the overriding input in agriculture and its productivity is commonly assessed in the light of external amendments necessary to produce good yields. Community analysis reports on project communities show about 95% (Fig. 5) of the farmers believed their soils require fertilization to produce good yields. The implication of this is that the participation of fertilizer suppliers/manufacturers will be critical to the operation of IPs in the country. It is salutary that most of the farmers ascribed the primary cause of emerging soil health conditions to

Capacity development workshop held for maize value chain partnersIn order to build the capacity of its national partners, the maize value chain component of the SARD-SC project organized a training workshop for 154 national partners on how to conduct community analyses and develop IP specific businesses. The workshop was held in 2014.

their cropping practice (Fig. 6). This baseline information obviously underpins the need to build upon local beliefs in resolving community-level challenges. In this report we highlight efforts being made in Nigeria under the SARD-

SC Project to enhance productivity of maize anchored upon capacity building for strategic deployment of maize technologies (including access to improved seeds) and improvement of soil health.

Farmers perception of status of soil health and its causes

Governance of Innovation PlatformsA fairly uniform coordination mechanism has been institutionalized at each IP level with inbuilt flexibility to enhance communication, the visibility of the responsibility host, and attribution.

Each IP is linked to the Country Coordinator of the Project, a State level Task Officer (Leader) usually within each of the six host Agricultural development projects (ADPs), and a National Agricultural Research Institution (NARI)/University to ensure mentoring and technical backstopping to complement IITA oversight. This includes all players in the maize value chain, who constitute the IP.

The Strategic Platform is enabled on an ad-hoc basis but oversight function is

The training was of immense importance to the project for the following reasons:

• It enabled partners to gain in-depth insights of the challenges and opportunities in their operation domain.• It aided clarity on expectations and work activities which was hitherto an issue.

• Partners now have at least well laid out, flexible work plans essentially linked to specific productivity and business constraints.

Of equal importance is that the training makes business plans adaptable and the method of its development replicable.

partially ascribed to the planning team that consists of State officials, NARI reps, the Maize Association of Nigeria (MAAN), and IITA. At each IP, an implementation team is

chaired by the NARI Guide on Execution of Activities. At community level, lead farmers are identified and encouraged to aid community participation and relations.

In-country planning/monitoring meetings heldThree national meetings were held in Nasarawa, Oyo, and Kaduna states, Nigeria in 2014, in order to ensure smooth implementation processes for the maize value chain. These include a planning meeting in March 2014, the mid-season/monitoring meeting October 2014, and the end-of-season meeting in December 2014. The meetings were rotated among the three IPs.

Participants included IP Leaders and ADP Administrators, NARIs, IITA, Media houses, and MAAN. Participants during In-country planning meeting held at Kaduna 2014.

Participants at IP1 meeting held at Sarki West LGA , Oyo State.

Figure 5. Perception of soil health among farmers at SARD-SC IPs in Nigeria.

Figure 6. Farmers perception of the causes of poor soil health at IPs in Nigeria.

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IP Meetings• Nine IP meetings were held (Table 3) involving

566 persons of which 475 were male and 91 were female participants; three meetings were held at IP1, five meetings in IP3 (including two local ones), and one in IP3.

TrainingSeventeen training sessions (Table 4) were held to train 511 females and 521 male participants on various subjects which include:

• Community analysis methodology/business plan construction

• Maize agronomy and good agricultural practice

• Postharvest handling and maize utilization (Recipe development)

• Group formation and dynamics and cooperative operations

• Pesticide usage and safety• Certified seed production techniques• Understanding the IAR4D Concept and IP

approach• Compost making

Table 3. IP Meetings in Nigeria.

IPNature of meeting Location LGA Number

No Participants Male Female State/ADP

IP1 Saki west 1 45 39 6 Oyo Asa 1 53 42 11 Kwara Saki east 1 69 56 13 Oyo

IP 2 Main Karu 2 154 140 14 NassarawaLocal Kokona/ Karu 2 59 47 12 Nassarawa

Main Z/Kataf 1 99 69 30 KadunaIP 3 Main Tsafe (NYSC Hall) 1 87 82 5 Zamfara Total 9 566 475 91

Table 4. Trainings conducted across IPs in Nigeria in 2014.

IP Ecology States No of Trainings Female Beneficiaries

Male Beneficiaries

Sudan / NGS Zamfara 2 117 190Sudan/NGS Katsina 2 54 34NGS Kaduna 4 54 166

SSG Nassarawa 3 23 108

SSG Kwara 2 40 20

SSG Oyo 2 43 13

Total 17 511 521

ExperimentationTwo types of trials are being conducted across the three IPs in Nigeria. These are:

1. Regional Variety Trials • IP evaluated elite hybrids • 3 sets of 15–25 entries • Multi-stress, high yielding and three maturity classes • Nine trials per state (54 across the 3 IPs)

2. On-farm Trials (OFTs)Two entries were compared with farmers’ entries.

At total of 406 (WHAT? ) were conducted across the three IPs (at least three in each of the 60 communities covered by the project). The OFTs included improved multi-stress, high-yielding maize varieties that were evaluated along with complimentary resource management options proposed in the business plan, which are tangential to soil health and maize productivity enhancement.

Table 5 reflects the comparative performance of improved and farmers’ maize varieties at one of the project sites in Kaduna. Significant grain yield advantages were observed.

Table 5. On-farm trials Result at SARDSC Project Communities in Kwara State in 2014.

Location Treatment Mean Grain yield (t/ha)

Grain yield advantage over farmer’s variety (%)

Jehunkunu EVDT99WSTRQPM 4.22 17.6 LNTP W C3 4.38 22.0 FARMER 3.59 Bielesin LNTP W C3 4.47 40.5 DTSTR SYN Y 4.37 37.4 FARMER 3.18 Magaji Aladere DTSTR SYN Y 4.39 20.0 EVDT99WSTRQPM 4,23 15.6 FARMER 3.66 Arobadi DTSTR SYN Y 4.13 43.0 LNTP W C3 4.34 51.0 FARMER 2.88 Adio DTSTR SYN Y 4.19 21.8 LNTP W C3 4.74 38.0

FARMER 3.44 Ajuwon EVDT99WSTRQPM 4.21 16.5

LNTP W C3 4.36 24.7 FARMER 3.64 Yeregi EVDT99WSTRQPM 4.28 24.0

DTSTR SYN Y 4.64 34.4 FARMER 3.45

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Dissemination of mini sample seed packs to farmers

Table 6. Beneficiaries of seed drop at IPs in Nigeria in 2014.

IP Ecology States QYTY (Kg) Beneficiaries

Sudan / NGS Zamfara 100 50

NGS Katsina 100 90

NGS Kaduna 75 66

SSG Nassarawa 100 150

SSG Kwara 100 80

SSG Oyo 90 90

Total 565 kg 526

To accelerate technology diffusion and to broaden the range of beneficiaries, mini-sample seed packages were distributed to farmers. This technique increased the multiplier effects of the project and complemented the sensitization/other promotional efforts being undertaken. The mini-packs of 400–800 g of seed were given to each farmer with a protocol to enable monitoring and use by recipients. Table 6 shows the range of beneficiaries covered in 2014. About 565 kg of improved seeds were distributed to 526 farmers in 75 communities.

Monitoring and Evaluation conductedIn 2014, two in-country monitoring and evaluation visits were conducted by the Maize Commodity Specialist, Dr Sam Ajala and by the SARD-SC Project M&E Specialist, Dr Issaka Amadou.

Some of the most critical issues of note that arose from the visits are the widespread incidence of Turxicum blight that occurred in IP2 and IP3 on some of the improved varieties recently released and the high incidence of stem borer attack that was previously unknown in IPs 2 and 3. Interestingly these two challenges were not captured during the Community analysis/Business plan developed for these IPs.

The issues therefore, will be subsequently factored into the work activities of the IPs.

Field days held in six communitiesSix field days were organized across six communities in Zamfara, Kaduna, Nassarawa, Kwara, and Oyo states that were attended by 537 persons of which 435 were male and 75 were females. The field days were used to exhibit improved technologies and new varieties of maize to farmers and consumers. Table 7 show the locations where the field days were held and the number of participants at each of the field days held in 2014 across Nigeria under the SARD-SC Project.

Emerging project implementation issuesIn 2014, several issues emerged from the implementation of project activities. Some of the issues are:

• Increased demand for seeds: Seed companies itching to get involved in the Platform induce a need for substantial quantities of FS and BS to support project activities and 12 million tons of output from 5.8 million ha maize area in Nigeria.

Field days organized at IPs in Nigeria in 2014

IP Ecology States Number field days

Estimated number of participants Location

Sudan/NGS Zamfara 1 87 (83 males and 4 females) Tambake

NGS Kaduna 1 122 (87 males and 35 females) Magmiya

SSG Nassarawa 1 158 (149 males and 9 females) Angwan Doka

SSG Kwara 1 85 (65 males and 20 females) Afon

SSG Oyo 2 96 (69 males and 27 females) Agbonle and Wasangare

Total 6 537 (453 males and 75 females)

– A reliable accessible seed store is needed to backstop BS/FS production to drive commercialization by seed companies in project communities and beyond

• Strategic initiatives for control of Turxicum and termites.

• Improving farm gate price/income and market connections.

Shortly after harvest, the price of maize grains dropped to a record low level of less than 4000 naira per 100 kg bag when the break-even point is about N5000 per 100 kg thus reducing incentives for farmers to continue to grow the crop.

ConclusionIt has been noted that IP meetings remained the heart and soul of the concept and that it takes time to build trust that is required to smoothen their operations.

The project has resolved in Nigeria to continue to encourage the use of innovative options, listening to the people as they tell their stories and express their desires for improved livelihoods.

The project is committed to building the capacities of various stakeholders to forge relevant partnerships and networks that can transmit knowledge to build prosperity needed for poverty reduction at product communities.

Participants of the innovation plat form.

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Rice

Innovation platforms (IPs) in the rice value chain of the rice sector development hubs have started to enhance the quality of interaction, relationships, confidence, and trust among rice value chain stakeholders. This is shaping business opportunities and influencing local decision making processes, including policies and institutions and contributes to improved livelihoods and institutional change among the diverse social and economic operators in the rice value chain.

In the Glazoué and Banté IPs in the Republic of Benin, significant changes among rice value chain actors have been observed. Women processors in the Banté IP, who reportedly processed only 1 t of paddy per month before the establishment of the IP, have increased their capacity to 10 t/month. Through the IPs, rizerie de la SONAPRA (a rice mill in the Glazoué rice Hub) now accesses 1000 t paddy during the harvest period compared to 500 t before the IP was established. To contribute to increased food security in the Republic of Benin, milled white rice from the rizerie de la SONAPRA is marketed by a government agency (ONASA) at a reduced price. Participation in the IP reportedly increased millers’ income by 25–50%, although information on the concomitant monetary value was not available.

The microfinance institution (CLCAM) provided 10 million CFA credit to farmers and processors before the establishment of the IP. This increased to 21 million CFA with the IP in place. Although the loan was not fully paid back in 2013 due to the drought in that year, full payment was made in 2014 when yields were good. The government input dealer (CARDER) reported a 35% increase in sales as a result of its active engagement in the IP process.

Traders in the Banté area who sold 15 t of milled rice per month before the IP became functional are now selling 20–25 t/month. Because the quality of rice processed by IP members is better, the consumer price of locally produced long grain rice has increased from 600 CFA to 700 CFA per kilogram. The price increase did not negatively affect consumer

Innovation Platforms (IPs) in the rice value chain enhancing interactions and improving livelihoods of smallholders and entrepreneurs: The case of the rice hubs in Glazoué, Republic of Benin and Kumasi, Ghana

behavior. On the contrary, consumers have encouraged traders to continue the process of quality enhancement of locally produced rice for household food security.

The establishment of IPs in the Glazoué rice hub encouraged farmers and entrepreneurs to participate in the rice value chain as an additional source of income. The introduction of IPs in the Glazoué and Banté areas caused a significant local policy shift to support rice value chain development: (i) The Mairie in Glazoué linked projects (new and old) with the IPs and allocated a stall to the rice processing (parboiling) group within the IP to facilitate the marketing of locally parboiled rice; (ii) The Mairie promoted the sale and consumption of locally parboiled rice through contractual arrangements with women parboilers; (iii) The Mairie in Banté allocated land to the ESOP rice processor group in the IP to construct their processing unit; (iv) The advocacy group within the Mairie in Banté has been canvassing for additional support to ESOP and other rice value chain actors in the IP.

Ghana

Although Opportunity International, a microfinance company in Abuakwa town in the Kumasi rice hub in Ghana has experience in working with cocoa farmers, this was not the case with rice value chain stakeholders

Women parboilers in the Glazoué IP.

including producers and entrepreneurs. Through the IPs in the rice value chain at Kumasi, Opportunity International started interacting with farmer groups.

In the 2013–2014 cropping season, as a result of the enhanced interaction with rice farmers, Opportunity International disbursed for the first time, GHS Cedis 500,000 credit to three farmer groups comprising 47 members (33 males and 14 females) involved in the IP. The branch manager of Opportunity International indicated about 80% loan repayment and for a new crop enterprise development such as rice, this is an encouraging business opportunity. Dr Ralph Bam, rice agronomist at the Crop Research Institute, Kumasi suggested that rice is a cash crop in Ghana and the rice farmers in the Kumasi rice hub are very happy with their relationship with the microfinance company and would like it to be reinforced and sustained.

Partnership with private seed entrepreneurs-FASO KABA for producer access to quality rice seed

Farmers in the 11 countries benefiting from the rice component of the SARD-SC project have consistently flagged the non-availability of good quality seed of improved rice varieties as a constraint to productivity. This is partly traceable to the poor quality foundation

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A rice milling enterprise in Ghana ( Kumasi IP).

seed available to local seed companies that produce certified seed. In order to resolve the problem, the project is collaborating with FASO KABA, an indigenous seed enterprise in Mali. FASO KABA has good experience in working with farmer cooperatives as well as collaborating with research, extension, and the national seed service. Through its modern seed processing facility on the outskirts of Bamako, it provides input and transport and buys seeds from farmer seed entrepreneurs and cooperatives for processing at its facility as well as certification by the national seed service before sale to farmers and projects within and outside Mali.

Because of FASO KABA’s facility and experience, as well as its accessibility to the AfricaRice station in M’Be in Bouaké in Côte d’Ivoire, (in addition to Mali being a SARD-SC maize and wheat country), AfricaRice/SARD-SC partnered with FASO KABA seed enterprise to produce foundation rice seed in M’Be for the production of certified seed by FASO KABA and its partners in Mali.

A field visit was conducted at the AfricaRice station in M’be on April 8–12 2015 to expose private sector seed players and farmers to the processes of foundation seed production for the purpose of producing certified rice seed. The participants came from FASO KABA, the CORAF/WECARD West Africa Seed Programme (representation from WASP/MALI), seed producers and millers from Gagnoa in Côte d’Ivoire, and CNRA in Côte d’Ivoire.

Mrs Maimouna Sidibe Coulibaly, proprietor of FASO KABA said: “The impurity of certified seed threatens the sustainability of our business. We are confident that the collaboration with the AfricaRice/SARD-SC project will enable us to access foundation seed of different varieties. Consequently, our enterprise will be more competitive and profitable because farmers will have access to better quality certified seed and consumers to better quality rice”.

Mr Mamadou Diaby, Director of "Moulins blancs" rice processing unit in Gagnoa, Côte d'Ivoire, reported: “This visit was very useful. I now realize the importance of quality seeds for paddy rice production. I will encourage the production foundation and certified seed to guarantee the quality of paddy supplied by farmers for milling and hence, the quality of processed milled rice. I believe this will increase the value of his business”.

Mrs Maimouna Sidibe Coulibaly, Proprietor of FASO KABA during the field visit at M’Bé, Côte d’Ivoire.

Mrs N'guessan, producer of certified seed in Gagnoa, Côte d’Ivoire indicated: “This visit has enlightened me and given me a glimpse of the production of improved rice seeds.

Henceforth, I will declare my certified seed production plot to the Ministry of Agriculture for certification. I will also facilitate the creation of a "seed platform" comprising other certified seed producers, around two popular varieties (CID one) and RA (JP 11) both in Gagnoa.

I have realized that the production of quality certified seeds can give me more opportunities to earn money, and that this can be enhanced through partnerships with AfricaRice and CNRA for technical support, and with other private seed producers for partnership and networking. I have already received an invitation from KABA-FASO for collaboration on certified seed production (private–private partnership)’. I was very happy to discover new varieties during the field visit”.

Field visit at the foundation seed production plots at the AfricaRice station, M’Bé, Côte d’Ivoire.

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Travelling workshop conducted for multidisciplinary wheat team in Ethiopia

Wheat

A travelling workshop was conducted in major wheat growing agroecologies of Ethiopia from 22 to 28 October 2014. The workshop brought together 38 participants (36 males and 2 females) of a multinational and multidisciplinary team of wheat breeders, agronomists, soil scientists, irrigation specialists, pathologists, socioeconomists, extension officers, and seed specialists. The participants were from the eastern and southern Africa SARD-SC Wheat Project Highland Hub countries: Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Ethiopia.

The participants visited three Innovation Platform (IP) sites, Kulumsa and Debre Zeit Research Centers, Etaya and Ardayta basic wheat seed production farms of the Ethiopian Seed Enterprise (ESE), Harero certified wheat seed production farms of the Oromia Seed Enterprise (OSE), and several community-based wheat seed production cooperatives/unions. They were able to share experiences and evaluate how the projects were working. Special emphasis was paid on these visits to bread and durum wheat research, and extension and seed systems along the wheat value chain. At each visited site, participants formed groups to critically evaluate key systems and activities, and they used the opportunity to interact with local farmers, development agents, extension workers, and policy makers.

A workshop on the Innovation Platform held in MaliThe SARD-SC Wheat Project organized a workshop on the “Innovation Platform” (IP) to introduce the IP approach to wheat stakeholders in Mali and to launch the first wheat IP in the country from 11 to 12 November 2014 at Segou, Mali. Opening statements were made by high-level Malian officials, to welcome all workshop participants and highlight the importance of wheat in Mali and the value of the IP approach in increasing the efficiency of wheat production along its value chain.

More than 70 participants attended the workshop, including the Mayor of Segou, the Governor of Segou, the Director General of IER-Mali, the Representative of the Minister of Agriculture, research scientists, extension scientists, millers, large-scale private wheat growers, farmers and farmer organizations,

Participants of the Travelling Workshop in Ethiopia.

and NGOs. The SARD-SC Wheat Project Hub Coordinator for West Africa, Profesor I.U. Abubakar attended the workshop to share Nigeria’s experience in IP development and management. Two representatives from Mauritania (a researcher and an extension officer) also attended the workshop prior to the establishment of a wheat-IP in their own country.

Following the introductory statements by Malian officials who emphasized the importance of wheat in Mali and the need to increase wheat productivity and production in the country to meet the country’s needs, Prof. I.U. Abubakar presented the activities and achievements of the SARD-SC project in the West African Lowlands. He highlighted the good performance of high-yielding, heat-

tolerant varieties across the region, some of which were released in 2014. Dissemination of the generated improved technology was also highlighted, with special reference to the Innovation Platform (IP) approach, where six IPs are established in Nigeria and one IP is being established in each of Mali, Niger, and Mauritania. In addition to improved varieties, Prof Abubakar also indicated that demonstration plots of conservation agriculture, agronomy, and integrated pest management (IPM) are being established and verified, while a large number of farmers have been trained on various wheat production skills.

Following the oral presentations, workshop participants were divided into three groups comprising: (i) farmers and farmer

Participants in the Innovation Platform workshop in Mali.

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organizations; (ii) private companies, transporters, and millers; and (iii) research organizations, to diagnose wheat production problems in Mali and proffer holistic solutions on a regional basis. Each group made presentations and consequently an Innovation Platform (IP) for wheat was formed to cover the sites of Segou and Dire. A platform coordinator, and research and extension facilitators were appointed for the platform.

Skill development training in confectionery making held in SudanA training course on “Skill development in baking and pastry making” was organized at Wad Medani, Sudan from 29 November to 1 December 2014. Participants were 128 women from different villages representing two innovation platforms (Rai Elbasatna (36) and Rai Wad Elbur (54)) and 38 residents and employees of ARC campus.

The distances of the different villages of the two platforms were between 5 and 40 km from Wad Medani. The age of participants ranged from 17 to 70 years. Their level of education was variable, comprising laborers, teachers, and PhD holders. This was the first course of this type for households from villages inside the two platforms. The course was a collaborative effort between the SARD-SC Wheat Project and Sayga Flour Mills. The objective of the course was to promote and upscale the capabilities and skills of the household women (end users) who form one of the important stakeholder groups of the wheat value chain in Sudan. Sayga is Sudan’s premier food company and one of the country’s most dynamic and successful organizations. (http://www.sayga.com/sayga-at-a-glance.html).

The opening session was chaired by the national coordinator of the SARD-SC Wheat Project, the national coordinator of the Wheat

Research Program, the representative of Sayga Flour Mills, the Director of Gezira Research Station, the representative of the ARC Director General, and the Director of the Administration of Human Resources Development and Information.

The national coordinator of the SARD-SC Wheat Project praised the outstanding approach of Sayga Flour Mills along the wheat value chain. He mentioned that the training course was organized with the objective of the SARD-SC Wheat Project strengthening the capacity of all stakeholders, including women. The participants learned the differences between the three types of wheat flour (soft, hard bread wheat, and durum wheat flour) that are produced by Sayga Flour Mills and the suitable utilization of each type. All the participants were pleased with and much interested in participating in the course.

This was the first course of this type for households from villages inside the two platforms. Also, most of participants suggested organization of such a training course in other villages.

Seed machinery for the SARD-SC Wheat Team in NigeriaThe SARD-SC wheat project aims to provide target countries with the appropriate equipment for local wheat production. The Project recently purchased two seed processing machines for the West Africa lowland hub country of Nigeria. The two wheat seed processing machines were delivered to Kano and Maiduguri in August 2014. One of the machines was assembled by two Turkish engineers at Kano on 22–28 October 2014 in the presence of engineers from the Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI), Maiduguri. The seed processing machine was successfully tested and worked according to specifications.

Participants at the training course.

Assembling the wheat seed processing machine, Kano.

About SARD-SCSupport to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops in Africa (SARD-SC), is a multi-national CGIAR- led project, which has the overall objective of enhancing food and nutrition security and contributing to poverty reduction in selected Regional Membership Countries (RMC) in Africa. The target RMCs are: Benin Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The project is funded by the African Development Bank and its focus is on raising the productivity and profitability of four commodities; Cassava, Maize, Rice and Wheat. These are four of the six commodities that African Heads of States have defined as strategic crops for Africa, through the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP).

The overall objective of the project is to enhance food and nutrition security and contribute to poverty reduction in the Bank’s RMCs. The specific objective is to enhance the productivity of and income from the four CAADP priority value chains on a sustainable basis. In real terms, the plan is to reduce food importation from other continents and offer farmers better access to markets, improve livelihoods and tackle poverty through enhanced capacities of beneficiaries in order to achieve sustainable development for the region.