CARI, SUAKOKO DISTRICT – The Resilience to Salinity through Development (RESADE) in partnership with the Central Agriculture Research Institute (CARI) has concluded a five-day international training of trainers’ workshop on seed production at the compound of the Central Agricultural Research Institute in Suakoko District#5, Bong County.
The RESADE project is being implemented by the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA).
The project at the same time provides the aforementioned solutions in seven countries in which salinization of agricultural land is a growing problem – namely The Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Togo in Western Africa, and Botswana, Mozambique, and Namibia in Southern Africa.
The project support national agricultural development policies and strategies of the target countries by rehabilitating and increasing the productivity of salinity-affected lands and provides technical assistance in salinity management to other IFAD- and BADEA-funded projects which are being implemented in these countries.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the five days event, the Country Director of the RESADE Project in Liberia and Head of the Crops Department at CARI, Dr. James Dolo said quality seed improvement is important for agriculture production in Sub-Sahara Africa.
He said the training was focused on Post-harvest, value addition, and soil management and was intended to provide a hand on practical experience on quality seed production.
Dr. Dolo admonished the participants to put into account the knowledge they acquired within the five days.
The Country Director of the RESADE Project in Liberia and Head of the Crops Department at CARI then lauded the efforts of the Liberian Government and partners for taking the training to CARI and called on the participants to use the knowledge acquired from the five days of training.
Also speaking, CARI Director-General, Dr. Victor Sumo said quality seed production in Liberia remains a major challenge for farmers and as such, the training was a breakthrough for Liberian Scientists and farmers.
Dr. Sumo also thanked the partners for the great initiative and called on participants to remain more focused on the knowledge acquired and the needed technical materials on seed production and other topics that will help improve the agricultural sector of Africa.
Participants of the five days seed production were drawn from over five African countries including Liberia, Sierra Leone, Togo, and the Gambia amongst others.
They were being trained to serve as ambassadors for quality seed production in their respective countries.