News

CORAF adapted and continued to implement the Partnership for Agricultural Research, Education and Development in West Africa (PAIRED) program despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Some remarkable results were achieved in 2020, according to the annual report.

PAIRED is structured into three components. Component I is designed to strengthen CORAF's institutional capacity, making it a key instrument for the regional coordination of agricultural research. Notable achievements in 2020 include

• CORAF has renewed its agreement with the Senegalese government, thus facilitating CORAF's operations;
• The 27th and 28th Ordinary Sessions of the Board of Directors, during which important decisions were taken;
• Improved public perception of CORAF as evidenced by the growing popularity of social networking platforms as well as the number of views on the website;
• The launch of reforms to CORAF's human resources and financial management systems;
• Digitizing processes and procedures to further improve organizational efficiency and effectiveness.

What have been the achievements of Component II?

Component II focuses on scaling up proven technologies and innovations. Here, the following has been achieved:

• Eight strategic sub-grant agreements have been signed between CORAF and the sub-region's National Agricultural Research Institutes (INRAs) to collaborate on the effective implementation of the program;
• One hundred and forty-two agricultural input packages -out of a total of 376- have been developed for the value chains promoted by PAIRED;
• Seventeen existing innovation platforms have been strengthened;
• Fifteen farmers' associations have been transformed into innovation platforms, the farms of 1,494 main beneficiaries geo-referenced, 89 demonstration plots established to showcase improved varieties of maize, millet, sorghum and rice, and 12 open days organized with the participation of 509 people, including 244 women;
• The Market for Agricultural Innovations and Technologies ( MITA platform) has been improved, and private sector involvement in the seed sector for the production and marketing of new improved varieties has been strengthened, with 29 innovative partnerships signed with seed and fertilizer players in Ghana, Nigeria, Benin and Mali;
• The Fertilizer and Seed Recommendation for West Africa Map(FeSeRWAM) has been developed in collaboration with the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC). FeSeRWAM is an online platform powered by CORAF that offers key recommendations on agricultural inputs to be used, targeting in particular smallholder farmers in West Africa.

What have been the achievements of Component III?

Component III of the project aims to supply quality inputs across West Africa. Here, the following was mainly achieved in 2020:

• The pioneering integrated regional strategy for the sustainable management of agricultural inputs in West Africa has been adopted.

The PAIRED program is scheduled to end in 2022.