News

The Institut tchadien de recherche agronomique pour le développement (ITRAD), in cooperation with CORAF, organized a regional workshop on the creation of a National Wheat Specialization Center (CNS) in Chad from December 07 to 08 in Ndjamena.

The workshop was organized as part of the implementation of the World Bank-funded Food Systems Resilience Program (FSRP). Chad has identified three priority value chains, including wheat. The country has mobilized resources around ITRAD to set up a wheat NSC, with support from CORAF.

" The aim of this workshop is to bring together the players in the wheat value chain, in order to work together to lay the foundations for this national center of specialization, and initiate the process of setting it up. It is also about taking stock of research on the wheat value chain, and sharing the experiences of other countries that have set up NSCs," said Dr Djondang Koye, representing the Director General of ITRAD.

The representative recalled that the choice of Chad to host this National Wheat Specialization Center was not fortuitous. In the past, Chad, with its polders on the Lake, was one of the few countries in Africa to produce and process wheat for consumption.

The National Wheat Specialization Center is building a synergy of actions between national and international institutions in this field, with the aim of achieving excellence in research, developing a value chain and reducing national dependence on imports.

As a reminder, the Food System Resilience Program (FSRP) is a flagship regional investment program aimed at strengthening the resilience of the food system in West Africa. The program focuses on three thematic areas: digital advisory services for the prevention and management of agricultural and food crises; sustainability and adaptability of the food system's productive base; and market integration and trade.