EU embraces CCARDESA, awards agricultural research grants

 Left: EU Ambassador to Botswana and SADC
Alexander Baum

19 November 2014. About 60 representatives from the SADC region, the development partners (World Bank, USAID and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation), national agricultural research institutes and universities, NGOs, and the private sector attended the launch of the CCARDESA Grants Facility. It was the first of its kind to be launched by CCARDESA.

The grants were awarded to the successful seven grantees of the 106 scientists from the SADC member countries that had applied. The selected proposals cover a wide range of topics such as poultry diseases, the development of solar dryer and urban farming practices in the livestock.

The successful seven grantees were represented by:

1. Professor Philemon Wanbura of Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) from Tanzania, 
2. Dr Moses Okoth Marenya of Agricultural Research Council-Institute of Agricultural Engineering, 
3. Professor Isaac Mpofu Of the University of Namibia, 
4. Dr Germinus Tungu from Tanzania Livestock Research Institute, 
5. Dr Rosa Costa Kyeema Foundation, 
6. Professor Benedict Kayombo from Botswana College of Agriculture 
7. and Jeffrey Mkhari East Power PTY LTD.

Speaking at the ceremony to mark the presentation of the grants to the seven grantees, the first of its kind to be launched by CCORDESA, the EU Ambassador to Botswana and SADC Alexander Baum noted that the awards ceremony was of particular importance. He said it demonstrated the SADC region’s continuing efforts to create a conducive environment to support agricultural research and development under the stewardship of CCARDESA.

“I am therefore confident that through CCARDESA Grants Facility, the SADC region will be better equipped to address some of the key challenges affecting the agricultural sector,” Baum said.

Background:

• Over the past 15 years, the EU has been actively involved in the coordination of agricultural research and development at the continental and regional level in Africa. Several initiatives throughout the African continent were therefore supported by EU to strengthen the capacity and improve research funding in the agriculture sector.
• EU has provided funds to support the preparatory activities for the creation of the CCARDESA through the implementation and coordination of agricultural research and training project under the European Development Fund.
• The centre, which is a subsidiary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) received monetary support amounting to 5 million Euros from the European Union (EU) and World Bank.