Researchers converge on Tanzania to discuss cassava agronomy – Official
NAN-AE-3
Cassava
By Chidinma Ewunonu-Aluko
Ibadan, Dec.13, 2017 (NAN) Scientists across Africa and other parts of the world are meeting with policymakers in Tanzania under the auspices of the African Agronomy Initiative (ACAI).
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)’s Communication Expert, Mr Godwin Atser, said this in a statement made available to newsmen in Ibadan on Wednesday.
Atser stated that the meeting would discuss the progress made in the last two years in providing clues to the agronomy of cassava.
He said the meeting, holding from Dec. 11 to Dec. 15, would review the progress made by the ACAI, a project managed by the IITA, and plan for the year ahead.
According to him, the Tanzanian meeting, which is taking place in Mwanza, will also include a planning workshop for the ACAI 2018 project activities in line with the implementation strategy for Year 3 of the project.
“The meeting is thus organised for planning and setting new goals for the 2018 activities, sharing roles, and understanding the expectations of each party represented in the project.
“The event is earmarked to set pace for transitioning into the validation and the onset of dissemination stage of the Decision Support Tools (DSTs),” he stated.
Atser quoted Dr Bernard Vanlauwe, the Director for Central Africa Hub with IITA, as saying that ACAI would tap into new opportunities and partnerships to ensure sustainability of the project and use of the tools developed.
He noted that through extensive research working with development partners, ACAI developed the initial version of the decision support tools that will be showcased at the meeting.
This, he added, would provide an opportunity for the partners to examine the tools and offer feedback on how the prototype DSTs could be improved upon.
He emphasised that ACAI DSTs were developed based on demands and needs identified by development partners actively engaged in cassava value chain.
He also quoted the ACAI’s Senior Systems Agronomist, Dr Pieter Pypers as saying that the interaction among project partners would generate concrete ideas that would be incorporated into the development of the DSTs.
“The tools we have developed must meet the needs of the development partners, that is why we are planning for the partners to have a practical feel of the tools in Mwanza and share with us their expectations of the tools,” he said.
He also quoted Dr Geoffrey Mkamilo, the National Coordinator for Root and Tuber Crops, Agricultural Research Institute (ARI), Tanzania, as saying that the project had made significant gains in 2017.
He said the project achieved significant milestones in 2017, adding that this was a trend that the core team and partners would be seeking to further in the new season.
He added that the meeting in Tanzania had more than 60 participants representing at least 21 organisations partnering with ACAI in Nigeria and Tanzania. (NAN)
CC/MOL/EAL
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Ekemini Ladejobi