Research priorities needed for more development-Call

 

An agriculture officer inpsects maize crop damaged by the MLN disease. Scientists have urged farmers to brace for a five-year battle with the viral disease that has significantly cut maize production. PHOTO | FILE |   NATION MEDIA GROUP

MASEMBE TAMBWE

A CALL has been sent out to development partners starting operations in the country to know what national research priorities are, so as to avoid sidetracking these efforts.

Speaking exclusively to the ‘Sunday News’, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Agricultural Development Senior Programme Officer, Ms Mercy Karanja, said that because research funding was limited, many a time national priorities are neglected. “It is a pity to see a researcher leaving one project and opting for another simply because the latter has the funding.

It is for this reason we recently funded the government in a mapping exercise such that donors know exactly which research needs support,” she said. Ms Karanja said that it was paramount that development partners start with the country and that by doing so they will be informed which direction the country wants to go.

Stakeholders on Thursday met in Dar es Salaam to deliberate on the integration of the consortium of the consultative group of international agricultural research (CGIAR).

The meeting had the objective of understanding priority needs of national clients that the CGIAR is in a position to address, understand how the integrated efforts of the consortium can complement and develop a framework for site integration plans for CGIAR engagement and alignment in the country.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives Permanent Secretary (PS), Ms Sophia Kaduma, said that the government recognises that investment in research and development to improve agricultural performance and combat climate change is critical and therefore committed to spending at least 1 per cent of agricultural GDP.

Ms Kaduma said that research and development are amongst the key priorities that shall be given more emphasis during the implementation of the second phase of the Agricultural Sector Development Programme.

“So with the above area in agriculture, the government has also set the following priority in agricultural research, namely to develop crop technologies to enhance productivity, food security, safety and nutrition, climate change adaptation, value addition across the value chain and generation and application of biotechnology,” she said.

The PS said that the consortium of CGIAR centers is proposing a second phase of research programmes that are designed by these centers as a portfolio of integrated research agendas to more effectively contribute to the objectives and targets set by a strategy and that the results framework was commendable.

Ms Kaduma said that the site integration aims at preparation plans, including carrying out necessary consultation with national parties and stakeholders.

Tanzania is among six countries selected by the CGIAR consortium for piloting the integration approach. “Even though research priorities are set at national level, social and ecological circumstances extend national boundaries.

Therefore, there are opportunities for collaboration and task sharing so as to make better use of limited resources. Such realization motivates the establishment of a set up to promote collaboration between national research systems, regional and international systems,” she said.