The Citrus Innovation Platform of Ghana

19 February 2016. Kade (120 Km from Accra, Ghana) Eastern Region citrus producers.

Since 2014, the Sub Saharan Challenge Programme (SSA CP, managed by FARA) has supported the PAEPARD Citrus consortium with an amount of 100,000$. The objective was to build the capacity of its members to work as an Innovation Platform (IP). The consortium has evolved in an IP at country level known as the Citrus Innovation Platform (CIP) of Ghana. This is a strategic IP which oversees 3 regional platforms in:

1. Kumasi (for Ashanti region), 
2. Kade (Eastern Region), 
3. Assin Foso (Central Region).

The SSA CP support closed on 19th February 2016. GIZ came in also to build and strengthen the capacity of citrus producers and has sensitized some producers who were not initially in IPs to join them.

Very recently ECOWAS has funded the Fruit Fly Project in 8 countries (including Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Mali etc.) with a total amount of 23,312,000 USD for 3 years. Professor Kwame Afreh-Nuamah of School of Agriculture, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, is the Chairman of the Fruit Fly National Committee. He attended the workshop. He said that the chairman of the Citrus Innovation Platform will be included in the Committee and will seat in the next meeting planned in April.

CORAF has also funded the ARD component (research) of the Fruit Fly Project with 2.5 million USD. In Ghana this component is led by Dr Maxwell K. Billah of University of Ghana who attended the workshop as well.
Background:

EC reviewers' Field visit on 22nd September 2015

• The SSA CP is a FARA program funded by the European Commission through IFAD. The program has specialized in Integrated Agricultural Research Development (IAR4D) with the Integrated Innovation Platform (IP) approach where researchers, private sector including banks, NGOs, farmers create/form a forum to reflect and invent solutions to their challenges. 
• SSA CP has facilitated the creation of IPs across the continent. Through PAEPARD they entered in contact with the Ghana citrus association. After discussion, two members (a researcher and a farmer) of the Citrus consortium were sent to Rwanda to learn the experience of IP. The support from FARA under the SSSA CP funding amounts to 100,000 USD
• A training on IP management involved some 30 members of the citrus producers association and researchers. It was organized in Kumasi in August 2014. A field visit was organised and the Mankranso.
• The IP was officially launched in the presence of the District Chief Officer, two members of the Parliament of Ghana and many other dignitaries.