With support from the European Union, and through the Cocoa Value Chain Development Program (COVADEP). Solidaridad has constructed a modern cocoa greenhouse that will be used by the research institute in its drive to improve the quality of cocoa production.
The cocoa sub-sector in one place, along with several other cash crops, that the national government has shifted to, to stabilize its struggling economy. Being a proven champion in the crop, Solidaridad West Africa is supporting the national effort by providing technical support to the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI), which is the country’s only sectoral research institute.
CARI’s Director General Dr. Victor Sumo says the action from its development partners is now addressing some of the many challenges that the institute has experienced. “CARI has been faced with various problems including, the lack of research infrastructure, inadequate staff capacity, and weak research extension linkages. A Strategic Plan developed by the institute is based on the vision that CARI will become a center of excellence for agricultural research, innovation, and capacity building for development. With this, we are taking a leap to achieving our desires”, he said.
He added that the institution has a mission to contribute to increased productivity, commercialization, and competitiveness of the agricultural sector through the development, promotion, and dissemination of demand-driven knowledge, information, technologies, and innovations and build capacity for sustainable food and agro-industrial commodities productivity and profitability to enhance livelihoods. The greenhouse is a boost to achieving the goals of the research institute as outlined in the plan.
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