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Senegal Prime Minister supports new partnerships to tackle food security in the region

A stronger and more dynamic regional and international research-for-development partnership in agriculture is the way forward for advancing food security and poverty reduction in the drylands.

“Our agriculture must be able to feed our people, and at the same time provide solutions to the problem of unemployment in our country. Agricultural development and food security is a priority of our government, and we need your support on this more than ever,” said Prime Minister of Senegal, Abdoul Mbaye.
Senegal Prime Minister Abdoul Mbaye (left) with Dr Poole and Dr Dar.

“We want to use science-based solutions for agricultural growth to create opportunities for employment, as well as to cope with the changing climate conditions. Your work with our national institutes on cereals and legumes has contributed much in increasing and diversifying sources of incomes for our people,” added the Prime Minister.

Highlighting the importance of research partnership in view of current agricultural challenges, Senegal’s Minister of Agriculture, Abdoulaye Baldé, said: “We are about to modernize our agriculture. We need a more effective system of research and dissemination of agricultural technologies. This is a priority for the government of Senegal and we are committed to work together with ICRISAT towards achieving this goal.”

Senegal Prime Minister Mbaye and Agriculture Minister Baldé both expressed commitment to a stronger and more dynamic research-for-development partnership during a courtesy visit by the Governing Board members and officials of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) on 9 April.

The ICRISAT delegation led by Dr Nigel Poole, ICRISAT Governing Board Chair, together with Dr William Dar, Director General; Dr S Ayyapan, Vice-Chair of the Board; and Dr. Farid Waliyar, Regional Director for West and Central Africa (WCA), met with the Senegalese officials as part of the week-long activities related to ICRISAT’s 68th Governing Board meeting being held in Dakar, Senegal from 6 to 10 April.

"The organization of ICRISAT’s Governing Board meeting here in Dakar is a strong sign of the vitality of relationship between ICRISAT and Senegal, particularly through the Senegalese Institute for Agricultural Research (ISRA),” noted Dr Poole.

For  the complete article, please see ICRISAT.