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The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Equipment, Pape Abdoulaye Seck, presided over the ^12th General Assembly of the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (Coraf) in Dakar on Tuesday. Under the theme "What future for Coraf in the ever-changing regional and international environment?" the Minister took the opportunity to praise his department's economic achievements.

"Our country grew by 7.2%, with agriculture making the biggest contribution at 16.8%. In Senegal, agriculture is no longer a wagon for economic growth, but rather a locomotive for economic growth," he told participants from the 23 member countries of this international association. Pape Abdoulaye Seck went on to justify his remarks by referring to three main factors.

"Firstly, in the vision of President of the Republic Macky Sall, agriculture is seen as the driving force behind the advent of an emerging Senegal. Then there's the decoding which, through the program to accelerate the pace of Senegalese agriculture, relies on the appropriation and incorporation of technological innovation to positively and sustainably transform Senegalese agriculture. And finally, increasing public investment in the agricultural sector so that we can make better use of the productive capacities of our ecosystems", he adds.

The Minister, who put a great deal of emphasis on reflection, also recommended certain concerns which, in his view, can enable agriculture to be in a dynamic of uninterrupted growth. "We must create innovation systems to transform potential impacts into real impacts, put in place consistent financing of wealth worldwide, strengthen cooperation with advanced agricultural research institutes, and deepen dialogue with political decision-makers and users of research results", said the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Equipment.

He also urged researchers to "develop synergies between universities and specialized agricultural research institutes, so as to have the critical mass needed to tackle major development issues. But also to intensify agro-ecology to better reconcile socio-economic, environmental and public health issues, and to develop capacities for anticipation in the face of climate change".

Mansour SYLLA, Intern (Actusen.com)