The participants got equipped to facilitate the WAAPP mid-course review.

The stakeholders and partners of the firstphase of the West Africa Agricultural

Productivity Program (WAAPP) convened inDakar, from 24th to 25th February, 2010, inorder to prepare for the mid-course review. So as to guarantee the quality of the resultsobtained during the first phase and share theexperiences and lessons learnt, a WAAPPmid-course assessment mission will beconducted by the World Bank in April 2010. The managers of the Mali, Ghana andSenegal coordination units, the monitoringand evaluation managers, that of the nationalcentres of specialisation and the members ofthe Executive Secretariat of CORAF/WECARDfound appropriate to hold this consultation inorder to harmonize the information to begathered. The participants agreed on thetypes and formats of the information to be pro-vided for the assessment mission; theyassessed the technical reports on the activi-ties that have been implemented since thelaunch of the project.

Monthly Bulletin of the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development

Number 14 (MARCH 2010)

PPAAOconsultation for the mid-course review

The Bt cowpea project : the field activities

In the framework of its research activitieson processing, the African Research Centre

on Banana and Plantain (CARBAP)’s post-harvest technology laboratory has developedsimple methodologies for the production ofbanana and plantain pulp flours. So as tomake the preparation of the Ntuba morepractical, it has been envisaged to useflour. This would represent a popular solu-tion that would help to promote this mealworldwide. At the end of various successful tests, thefollowing rapid reconstruction culinary pro-tocol has been adopted : boil 320 ml ofwater in a pot or in a sauce pan; add conti-nuously 100 grams of flour and blend wellwith a wood spatula; cook for 5 minutes atlow heat and preferably serve hot with asauce according to the consumer’s taste.

Plantain processing : a new technology has been developed

The IER is one of the three institutions involved in the implementation of the Bt-cowpeaproject funded by the USAID. The manager of the biotechnology and biosafety pro-

gramme (GPBB) held working sessions with the authorities of the IER for the monitoringof the activities conducted in the framework of the Bt cowpea project’s implementation.This was on 15th and 16th February, 2010. During the project’s launch workshop, it was decided to do the tests conducted in a confi-ned environment on the Bt-cowpea in Mali only if the IER asks for and obtains an agree-ment allowing it to conduct tests in natural environment. The precondition for all that is thepublication of the implementing decrees of the law on biosafety that would facilitate thecreation of the appropriate institutions for the analysis of the application files. With regardto that, the biosafety focal point in Mali has planned to hold a technical meeting in Bamakoaiming at finalizing the decree proposals to submit to the Ministry of the Environment. Theoutcome of this process is of interest to the Biofortified Sorghum project. Mali is likely toparticipate in the second stage of this project to be held in Burkina Faso and in the FSP-Cotton too. On the periphery of this visit, the GPBB hold a working session with the Mission of theEuropean Commission that is making an inventory of the region in the field of biosafety inorder to fund the capacity strengthening project.

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2

In the framework of the measures for theexpansion of the West Africa Agricultural

Productivity Program (WAAPP) to 4 new coun-tries, CORAF/WECARD commissioned a studyon the assessment of the environmental impact

and on the management framework of pestsand pesticides. A workshop for the validation of the studybrought together stakeholders and partnersin Dakar from 22nd to 23rd February, 2010.

WAAPP 2 : a workshop for the validation of the study on the Environmental and SocialManagement Framework Plan

As the regional management body for theRegional Project on Sustainable Managementof Endemic Ruminant Livestock in West Africa(PROGEBE), the regional steering committeeheld its third session in Bamako from 8th to 9thFebruary, 2010. The Regional Project on Sustainable Ma-nagement of Endemic Ruminant Livestock inWest Africa (PROGEBE) is a research anddevelopment project which is being implemen-ted in The Gambia, in Guinea, in Mali and inSenegal. Its aim is to preserve and to streng-then the genetic characteristics of the threespecies of endemic ruminant livestock (theNdama cattle, the Djallonké sheep and theWest African dwarf goat), to contribute to po-verty reduction and the strengthening of foodsecurity and also to enhance the productivityand to improve the exploitation of endemicruminant livestock within a supportive andenabling institutional environment. It will bene-fit about two million and a half people from thefour participating countries. The project ismainly funded by the African DevelopmentBank, the Global Environment facility (GEF)and the governments of member countries. Itis implemented by the International Trypano-tolerance Centre (ITC) for the AFDB andUNOPS for GEF-UNDP components. TheAfdb and GEF components will respectivelylast 6 (2008 – 2013) and 10 years (2008 –2016). The main partners of the project are theministries and institutes in charge of livestock inmember countries (ITC in The Gambia, IRAGin Gui-nea, IER in Mali and ISRA in Senegal),the ILRI, the CIRDES and FAO.In Bamako, the members of the SteeringCommittee reviewed and adopted the project’simplementation report for 2009 ; they alsoadopted the 2010 workplan. Dr Hamadé Kagoné, CORAF/WECARD’sLivestock, Fisheries and Aquaculture program,represented the institution at this meeting

PROGEBE :the Regional Steering Committee holdsits 3rd session

The WAAPP’s consultants and stakeholders exchanged in a good atmosphere for the finalization ofthe ESMFP.

Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger and Ni-geria are the 4 new countries that benefitfrom the WAAPP. Missions in these countrieshave enabled the consultants to draft anEnvironmental and Social Management Frame-work Plan (ESMFP) and Pest and PesticideManagement Plan that will include an analy-sis of the institutional, legal and environmen-tal framework within which the WAAPP willbe implemented in these countries. TheESMFP provides guidance on environmentalmonitoring and includes institutional cons-traints analysis to screening all implementa-tion processes that will lead to the assess-ment of potential environmental impacts andto the use of other environmental manage-ment measures, if necessary. The Plan alsoprovides recommendations on environmen-tal capacity building. These two days were also dedicated to thegathering of contributions and suggestionsaimed at improving the study and at incorpo-rating the participants’ comments and sug-gestions in the final report. Following the plenary discussions, generalrecommendations were made. They dealtwith the assessment of the harmonisation ofnational laws on pests and biosafety, the

delivery of documents on the ESMFP andthe PCGPP to countries; the inventory of thecontrol laboratories so as to support them intheir accreditation process in the frameworkof the WAAPP; the publication of a manualof procedures in the field of phyto- and zoo-sanitary products’ control in the subregionand its dissemination to all interested stake-holders, and finally the harmonisation of na-tional laws on pests while taking into accountthe World Bank’s requirements.

Agricultural statistics : development partners develop a strategy

Under the auspices of the AfDB and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, with support fromFAO, an international conference has been held in order to draft a guide to capacity building

for the improvement of agricultural statistics in Africa. This was done from 1st to 4th February,2010 in Tunis.Various experts representing regional and subregional institutions, institutions specialized in themanagement of agricultural statistics in Africa and internationally participated in this meeting. The exchanges between experts facilitated the implementation of a strategy for the managementof agricultural statistics, and the implementation of a coalition of donors for fundraising activitieswith the view to develop a programme on agricultural statistics in Africa. George Muluh, CORAF/WECARD’s planning officer, represented the institution at this meeting.

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PSTADA : the focal points of the CORAF/WECARD region in conclave in Abidjan

The RYMV project : the field activities

The coordinators of the project for thePromotion of Science and Technology for

Agricultural Development in Africa (PSTADA),at the level of CORAF/WECARD and FARA,and the focal points in the West and CentralAfrica NARS members convened, from 3rd to5th February, 2010, in Abidjan in order toassess the implementation of the RAILS andDONATA components. The project for the Promotion of Science andTechnology for Agricultural Development inAfrica (PSTADA) is a project that contributesto the production and to the better manage-ment of agricultural information in Africa andalso to a better transfer of technologies andgood agricultural practices. This project alsocontributes to strengthening the capacity ofagricultural information experts. This projectfunded by the African Development Bank(AfDB) and initiated by the Forum for Agricul-tural Research in Africa (FARA) is managedby the three subregional Organisations(CORAF/WECARD, SADC-FANR and ASA-RECA). It is executed in all African Sub-Saharan countries. It has the three followingcomponents: (1) Knowledge and informationmanagement, (2) Transfer of agriculturaltechnologies and good practices, (3) Projectcoordination and management.During three days, the participants reviewedthe implementation of the PSTADA roadmap

The FSP-Cotton project : the agreement is being finalized

In the framework of the finalization of theimplementation agreement, in Mali, for the

priority solidarity funds project in the field ofcotton, the manager of CORAF/WECARD’sbiotechnology and biosafety programme vi-sited the Mali Central Veterinary Laboratoryon 12th February, 2010. Following the actions conducted by the C4(West and Central Africa cotton producercountries) at the World Trade Organisation,the French Foreign and European AffairsMinistry (MAEEF) has decided to supportthe cotton sector in this region through theFSP-Cotton. The CIRAD has been appoin-ted the main operator of this project by theMAEEF and CORAF/WECARD is the con-tracting authority.Due to technical problems, some of the acti-vities that had been approved in 2007, andthen in 2008 in the framework of the project

have become obsolete because a lot ofthings have occurred in-between, mainly inthe field of the Bt-cotton. The first funds ofthe project have been made available toCIRAD in the mid-2009 and an agreementon the project supervision which links theCIRAD and the CORAF/WECARD wassigned at the end of 2009, after the releaseof the first part of the funds. The CIRAD alsosigned bilateral agreements with the coun-tries involved in the project (Benin, BurkinaFaso, Mali and Togo). In Bamako, information on the project andon its positioning with regard to CORAF/-WECARD’s biotechnology and biosafetyprogramme has been exchanged. Plannedactivities have been reviewed for the finali-zation of the implementation agreement withthe authorities of the Rural Economy Ins-titute (IER) of Mali

The Rice Yellow Mottle Virus (RYMV)project was launched in 2009 and is

coordinated by the National Centre ofAgronomic Research (CNRA) in Côte d’Ivoire.After a few years of implementation,CORAF/WECARD’s Biotechnology andBiosafety programme conducted field visitsto monitor its activities. This was done on18th and 19th February in Abidjan.With regard to the roadmap that had beenset up, the activities of the project are wellconducted. In Abidjan, the GPBB exchanged on thedraft concept note for the organisation of aregional training on biotechnology with theCNRA. He also met with the Ivorian autho-rities about the ECOWAS Ministerial Con-ference on Biotechnology scheduled to takeplace in Abidjan.

and coordination and management activities.They listed the challenges they face whenexecuting the project before proposing solu-tions. They exchanged on the platformconcept and had their capacity in using the

eRAILS tool strengthened. They endowed themselves with a roadmapfor the first half of the present year in order tofacilitate the implementation of the RAILS andDONATA components.

The participants during a training session to the eRAILS tool

In the framework of the preparation processfor the acceptance of countries in the 2nd

phase of the West Africa Agricultural Produc-tivity Program, a preassessment mission visi-ted the applicant countries to discuss with sta-keholders and partners. The World Bank and CORAF/WECARD arecoordinating the implementation of the WestAfrica Agricultural Productivity Program. Thefirst phase started in 2007. It covers 10 yearsand has had three beneficiary countries forthe time being. A 25% increase in agriculturalproductivity for the priority speculations identi-fied in the countries is the result that is expec-ted at the end of the 10 year-period. In the framework of the second phase of theWAAPP which is to cover 9 other countriesthat are Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso,Niger, Benin, Togo, The Gambia, Sierra Leoneand Liberia, a mission conducted a fieldworkwith the aim to assess these countries’strengths and weaknesses in the agriculturalsector.

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WAAPP 2 :the preparation process is in progress

2nd – 3rd March, 2010, Dakar. Working ses-sion between ECOWAS and CORAF/WECARDon mobilizing programmes4th – 5th March, 2010, Accra. Exchanges bet-ween the West Africa USAID’s managers and theExecutive Secretariat of CORAF/WECARD12th – 13th March, 2010, Abidjan. Technicalmeeting between the experts of the Mano RiverUnion countries on the rice programme in the fra-mework of the second phase of the WAAPP15th – 19th March, 2010, Dakar. Training ses-sion on institutional change aimed at Franco-phone facilitators 15th – 20th March, 2010, Bamako. Training onthe IA4RD concept and the value chains 22nd – 25th March, 2010, Cotonou. Third tech-nical mission of the Executive Secretariat ofCORAF/WECARD for the preparations for the2nd scientific week and the 9th General Assemblyof CORAF/WECARD22nd – 26th March, 2010, Bamako. Africa RiceCongress organised by the Africa Rice Center 28th – 30th March, 2010, Cotonou. Workshopon ECOWAS mobilizing programmes 28th – 31st March, 2010, Montpellier, France.First Global Conference on Agricultural Researchfor Development organised by the Global Forumfor Agricultural Research (GFAR).29th – 31st March, 2010, Ouagadougou. Nego-tiation and validation workshop for the WAAPP,phase 2

Following the Abuja meeting on the fundingof the ECOWAS Common Agricultural

Policy, the stakeholders and partners met inorder to take stock of the situation and set upa roadmap for 2010. This was from 1st to 4thFebruary, 2010 in Lomé. The Abuja Conference on the funding of theregional agricultural policy (ECOWAP/PDDAA)represents a major and decisive step in theoperationalisation of the ECOWAP and theRe-gional Offensive for food production andagainst hunger. This facilitated the delivery ofimportant results such as the recognition ofthe developed vision as a relevant frameworkfor the transformation of the West African agri-cultural sector to reach food security andsovereignty, to struggle against poverty andfor economic sovereignty ; the insourcing ofthe National Agricultural Investment Pro-grammes on which the implementation of theECOWAP/CAADP rests at the national level;and finally, the adoption of the modalities ofimplementation for the ECOWAP/-CAADP atthe regional level and for the regional partner-ship agreement between the main regionalstakeholders and the technical and financialpartners.In Lomé, the participants assessed the confe-rence and devised on the 2010 roadmap.They also exchanged on mobilizing program-mes before consolidating the various regionalpartners’ action programmes.

ECOWAP : stakeholders and partners exchange onthe 2010 roadmap

Organized by the Ministry of Agriculture withthe support of the West Africa Cotton

Improvement Programme (WACIP) and theUSAID, the national sensitization workshop onbiotechnology, biosafety and genetically modi-fied organisms (GMO) was held from 13rd to15th January, 2010 in Ndjamena. This meeting brought together scientists, officialsof the public administration, the delegates of pro-ducers’ organisations and of the civil society. During two days, the participants exchangedright information with stakeholders interested inthe biotechnology issue ; they also assessedbiotechnology and biosafety in Chad before pro-posing a capacity strengthening strategy for theBiosafety National Committee. Above all, they formulated recommendations tothe Government of Chad in the field of biotech-nology and biosafety.

Chad :sensitization on biotechnology and GMO

Research and development : Strengthening partnership for thebenefit of farmers

With the view to strengthen the relations-hip between agricultural research and

development, experts convened from 3rdto 4th February, 2010, in Nairobi, in Kenya,in order to propose sustainable solutions. Before proposing solutions for sustainablecollaboration between agricultural researchand development, the participants sharedtheir views on the concept of partnership,why should people live in partnership,and, above all, what prevents partnershipfrom being successful? They agreed on the importance of a sus-tainable partnership between agriculturalresearch and development; they shared amodel of partnership between the stake-holders.

Monthly Bulletin of the West and Central African Council

for Agricultural Research and Development

Director of PublicationAbubakar Yusuf

Director of the newsroomPaco Sérémé

Editor-in-ChiefAnatole Yékéminan Koné

NewsroomInfo / Com Department

LayoutAlassane DIA

On lineGorgui Alioune Mbow

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