High-ranking officials from seven East African countries tour AVRDC

During the last week of September, agriculture ministers from nine countries convened in Arusha, Tanzania for the 59th Meeting of the Desert Locust Control Organization of Eastern Africa. They were accompanied by directors and commissioners from their ministries. Unexpectedly, the delegates decided to wrap up their visit to Tanzania with an in-depth excursion to AVRDC Eastern and Southern Africa. Delighted by the opportunity, AVRDC staff quickly prepared a comprehensive tour of the regional office.

Thomas Dubois explains the importance of the seed repository. From left to right on the first row: Christopher Chiza, Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives of Tanzania; Sicily Kariuki, Principal Secretary of Agriculture of Kenya; Bright Rwamirama, Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries of Uganda; Wondirad Mandefro, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Ethiopia; Komayombi Bulegeya, Commissioner of Plant Protection of Uganda, Tsvetelina Stoilova and Baraka Mchala.

On 24 September, the ministers from Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, as well as the Principal Secretary of Kenya spent almost two hours at AVRDC. Regional Director Thomas Dubois led the delegation around the campus grounds, with the first stop at the seed repository, where the ministers saw the importance of traditional vegetables firsthand. Scientist Tsvetelina Stoilova explained the importance of vegetable seed kits for home and school gardens, and post-conflict or disaster zones. The delegation saw spider plant accessions flourishing in a screenhouse, and learned about AVRDC’s first steps toward an amaranth breeding program, part of the PhD studies of David Byrnes.

Christopher Chiza, Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives of Tanzania examines a vegetable seed kit at the seed repository.

At the Postharvest Training and Services Center, Postharvest Specialist Ngoni Nenguwo and Research Assistant Roseline Marealle introduced the ministers to the Center’s zero-energy evaporative coolers and solar dryers. They also demonstrated various harvesting, postharvest and processing technologies—especially for tomatoes, which are easily damaged during harvest and transport. The ministers discussed how to reduce farmers’ dependence on wooden crates, to reduce deforestation. Thomas Dubois explained how AVRDC, together with Fintrac, the Tanzania Horticultural Association and other partners, is tackling postharvest losses head-on. When visiting the Center’s cold storage prototype, the ministers took out their smartphones and tablets to document the simple yet ingenious ways cold storage and cold transport could soon become a reality for smallholder farmers.

In the field, Fekadu Dinssa explained the intricacies of seed regeneration, vegetable selection and vegetable breeding. “Traditional vegetables hold great potential for smallholder farmers, and are increasingly being picked up by consumers as well as the private sector in several of your countries,” Fekadu told the delegation. “That is because they are very nutritious, fast growing and more robust against biotic and abiotic stresses.” Collaboration with the private sector and government agencies was stressed during the field visit, as they are vital links in getting improved lines out to farmers. Cornel Massawe from Tanzania’s HORTI-Tengeru was introduced to the delegates as a key partner for AVRDC. AVRDC hosts the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) at Arusha, and the visitors also caught a quick glimpse of IITA’s new banana hybrids.

Fekadu Dinssa explains the principle of grafting to the delegates. Komayombi Bulegeya, the Commissioner of Plant Protection of Uganda sees opportunities – while Christopher Chiza, the Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives of Tanzania asks questions.

AVRDC’s grafting chamber was particularly interesting to the visitors with plant protection backgrounds. “The future is in seedlings, and with seedlings, grafting is just a small next step,” said Hassan Mdniga. “Grafting susceptible tomatoes on resistant rootstock allows tomatoes to be grown in places and during times that would otherwise not be possible.” AVRDC’s strategy of first fine-tuning the technology and then training trainers was explained.

Komayombi Bulegeya, the Commissioner of Plant Protection of Uganda asks Hassan Mdniga detailed questions about technicalities related to grafting.

During a coffee break at the Demonstration Garden, the visitors saw elite varieties of African eggplant, vegetable cowpea, sweet pepper and many other vegetables. IITA’s Rony Swennen gave the delegates a quick presentation on banana bacterial wilt. The AVRDC team mingled with the delegates, answering questions and discussing points of common interest. Judging from the many smiles, the delegates were delighted with their in-depth immersion in the work of AVRDC.

Time for reflection: Fikre Markos, Director of Plant Protection of Ethiopia strolls in AVRDC’s Demonstration Garden.

“I hope nutrition will be kept high up on the agricultural agenda, for the benefit of smallholders and consumers,” Thomas Dubois told the ministers. “I hope you make even more publicity and promotion of the excellent activities AVRDC undertakes for Tanzania and the region!” riposted Christopher Chiza, the Minister of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives of Tanzania. Undoubtedly, the visit provided plenty of “vegetables for thought” to the ministers and their teams, and will help ensure nutrition and improvements to small-scale agriculture are on the agenda for the region’s policymakers.