SARD-SC Archives | IITA News

AfDB Vice President visits IITA

On 26 March, Dr Jennifer Blanke, Vice President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) paid a courtesy visit to IITA headquarters in Ibadan, Nigeria. She was received by IITA Director General, Nteranya Sanginga, the Deputy Director Generals, and members of IITA management. The purpose of her visit was “to see how the collaborations were going…

Picture of AfDB officials at the supervision presentation.

AfDB conducts end-SARD-SC project supervision mission

The African Development Bank was in IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria, on 2–3 November for a 2-day end-of-project Supervision Mission on the Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic crops (SARD-SC) project.

Picture of IITA Maize Breeder Abebe Menkir with other members of the high table.

SARD-SC maize conference leverages on private sector partnership

The SARD-SC maize conference, held in Livingstone, Zambia, 14—20 May, was a valuable opportunity for the maize project and its partners to interact with other stakeholders from Zambia, Nigeria, and Africa in general.

Picture of researchers discussing in the field during the M&E exercise.

SARD-SC Maize conducts monitoring and evaluation in Zambia

The SARD-SC Maize component carried out its annual monitoring and evaluation exercise for the year in Zambia from 4 to 11 April.

Picture of IITA/SARD-SC cassava processing center building at ZARI-Mansa.

IITA looks to spur cassava sector growth in Zambia as it hands over processing center to national partner

IITA, through its “Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops in Africa” (SARD-SC) project funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), turned over a modern cassava processing center to its national partner, the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI), on 12 April in Mansa, Luapula Province, some 800 km north of the capital Lusaka.

SARD-SC project stimulates rural economy through establishment of cassava community processing centers in DR Congo

The cassava community processing centers (CCPCs) are currently stimulating the economy and creating employment for the rural population of Kavumu village, in the Kabare territory of South-Kivu Province of the DR Congo. Until the introduction of the CCPC in early 2015, there was a high level of unemployment in Kavumu community.

Picture of The Zambia IITA Youth Agripreneurs (ZIYA) Program successfully conducted a training course on cassava value addition for 11 ZIYA members―all female―on 6–16 March at the IITA Southern Africa Research and Administration Hub (SARAH) campus in Kabangwe, Lusaka Province. The 11 women came from different youth groups from Kaoma District in Western Province, Monze District in Southern Province, and Serenje and Mkushi districts in Central Province partnering under the ZIYA umbrella. T he training course was conducted with support from the Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops in Africa (SARD-SC) project. Facilitators included Emmanuel Alamu, Food Scientist; Prisca Chileshe, Postharvest Utilization Research Assistant; Nhamo Nhamo, ZIYA Youth Coordinator; and Jeremiah Hantolo, Zambia SARD-SC Maize Coordinator, all based at IITA-SARAH. The 10-day, hands-on course covered the various steps in preparing cassava-based food products―from root preparation (cleaning, peeling, chipping, and drying) to processing and cooking/ baking. Specifically, the youth were taught how to make confectionary products such as biscuits, chin-chin, fritters, titbits, and cupcakes. At the end of the training, the trainees presented the different food products that they had produced to IITA-Zambia staff as well as to Hilde Koper-Limbourg, Deputy Director General for Corporate Services, who coincidentally was also in Zambia on a familiarization and monitoring trip to the southern Africa Hub. “These are very impressive products that you have prepared,” David Chikoye, IITA Southern Africa Regional Director, said during the presentation by the trainees. “I sincerely hope that you will apply what you’ve learned here―and what you will still learn in the future from ZIYA―in your respective groups when you go back,” he added. “These are really delicious,” added Koper-Limbourg. “I see a really good business opportunity for these products, and a great business venture for the ZIYA youth. You should be proud of yourselves and what you have accomplished here.” Asked what they will do with the knowledge that they gained from this training, Caroline Liwena, ZIYA Youth Chair, who also participated in the course, related that they would also train other members of their respective youth groups. “Apart from echo training, we will also start some small businesses producing and selling these food products. And, of course, start making money,” she proudly added.

Zambia IITA Agripreneurs Program train 11 youth on cassava-based food production

The Zambia IITA Youth Agripreneurs (ZIYA) Program successfully conducted a training course on cassava value addition for 11 ZIYA members―all female―on 6–16 March at the IITA Southern Africa Research and Administration Hub (SARAH) campus in Kabangwe, Lusaka Province.

Picture of Mala Kachalla (center) is one of the wheat scientists sponsored by the SARD-SC wheat project.

Two wheat scientists graduate with full scholarships from the SARD-SC Wheat project

In August and September 2016, two students, Mala Kachalla from Nigeria and Bruce Mutari from Zimbabwe, respectively graduated with a master’s degree after successful studies funded by the SARD-SC wheat project. The AfDB-funded SARD-SC wheat component of ICARDA runs a scholarship program to build the capacity of African researchers in various segments of the wheat sector.

FMS refurbishes cassava processing centers and trains machine fabricators in DR Congo to reinforce its cassava value chain

IITA’s cassava processing center in Kalambo, DR Congo, now wears an improved look, thanks to the intervention by members of the IITA Facility Management Services (FMS).

Picture of Sabina Nyahuye - female wheat farmer.

SARD-SC beneficiary declared best female wheat farmer in Zimbabwe

When Sabina Nyahuye, a wheat farmer from the Hwedza Innovation Platform of the SARD-SC Wheat project, started wheat farming 20 years ago, she says wheat harvests and the market were just okay.