India and Ghana on Wednesday strengthened their agricultural partnership with the signing of a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, and the Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI), Accra, to advance agricultural research, education, technology transfer and commercialisation.
The signing ceremony was graced by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, underlining the growing focus on South-South cooperation and India-Africa agricultural collaboration. The MoU provides a framework for joint agricultural research, scientific and technological exchange, capacity building and the application and commercialisation of agricultural technologies.
The collaboration has been facilitated by Arima Farms Ltd., Ghana, which has been recognised as the commercial partner to CSIR-CRI for specific research and commercialisation activities under the framework.
First phase to focus on tomato research and high-yielding varieties
The first phase of cooperation will focus on vegetable crop research, with particular emphasis on tomato research and development. Under the partnership, ICAR will support the scaling up of proven agricultural technologies and the introduction of suitable high-yielding tomato lines and varieties to contribute to strengthening domestic tomato production in Ghana, according to a press release by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
Focus on tuber crops, value addition and post-harvest management
The partnership will also cover processing and value addition of cassava, yam and other tuber crops, with the objective of strengthening agricultural value chains.
Cooperation will further extend to post-harvest management, including technical support and capacity building in cold storage, refrigerated transportation, sorting, grading and processing technologies, with a focus on addressing post-harvest losses.
Scientists, germplasm and technical knowledge to be exchanged
The MoU provides for the exchange of scientists and technologists, germplasm and breeding materials, scientific information, methodologies and technical knowledge, besides the development and implementation of collaborative research projects.
It also envisages institutional linkages between relevant research institutes and centres of the two countries to facilitate sustained scientific cooperation.
Joint Working Group to oversee implementation
The collaboration will be overseen through a Joint Working Group comprising representatives of ICAR and CSIR-CRI. The group will review the progress of cooperation and guide its implementation, with meetings to be held periodically in New Delhi and Accra.
The partnership is aimed at strengthening the linkage between agricultural research, technology development, capacity building and commercial application, facilitating the adoption of relevant agricultural technologies and contributing to sustainable agricultural development and improved livelihoods in Ghana.
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