WACIP West African Cotton Improvement Program
PRESS RELEASE USAID WACIP Holds its Fifth National Advisory Committee Meeting June 1, 2012 – N’Djamena, Chad – The National Advisory Committee (NAC) of the West African Cotton Improvement Program (USAID WACIP) held its fifth consultative session on May 31, 2012 at “Chez WOU” Hotel in N’Djamena. A total of 35 participants attended the meeting, including Chadian Government representatives of the Ministries of Agriculture and Irrigation, of Environment, of Plan and Economy, of Trade and Industry, of Urban and Rural Hydraulics and of Artisans, the private sector (Cotontchad, the National Union of Cotton Producers and artisan enterprises) and members of the USAID WACIP team. USAID WACIP is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC). The project intervenes in the C-4 countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali and Chad) and in Senegal. The purpose of the project is to reduce poverty and hunger by increasing producers’ incomes, improving productivity of cotton and other food crops and increasing the added value of cotton products from manufacturers and artisans. To identify priorities, ensure coordination and evaluate progress on vetted work plans, IFDC consults with the National Advisory Committees of each of the C-4 country. IFDC incorporates their guidance into USAID-approved work plans and implements the activities through a combination of direct management and sub-grants. USAID WACIP partners in Chad have successfully completed several activities between 2007 and 2010, including agricultural research, institutional capacity building, training of extension agents in good agricultural practices, in monitoring & evaluation and in data collection, compilation and reporting skills and tools. In 2011/12, USAID WACIP partnered with the Office National de Développement Rural (ONDR) with the objective to increase yields and revenues for Chadian cotton farmers by further strengthening the extension service’s capacity to (i) develop and apply new pedagogic materials and conduct proper field demonstrations and (ii) carry out rigorous monitoring and evaluation of their results. ONDR has trained 244 extension agents and 6,000 cotton producers during the 2011/2012 campaign in integrated pest management (IPM), as well as in proper handling of pesticides and integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) to increase yields. A total of 160 demonstration fields (in cotton and maize) were also established for practical training purposes. The environmental monitoring was ensured by external consultants, with periodic visits from the USAID WACIP regional team. During its fifth session, the Chad National Advisory Committee will examine the results of the 2011/12 campaign activities, deliberate on lessons to be drawn and propose guidelines for future programs to be implemented in the Chadian cotton sector. Photographs from the event are shown below. IFDC is a public international organization, governed by an international board of directors with representation from developed and developing countries. The nonprofit center is located in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, USA, and has over 800 employees involved in projects that span more than 30 countries in Africa and Eurasia. It is supported by various bilateral and multilateral aid agencies, private foundations and national governments. IFDC focuses on increasing and sustaining food security and agricultural productivity in developing countries through the development and transfer of effective and environmentally sound crop nutrient technology and agribusiness expertise. BP. 11 CMS 82 Ouagadougou 11 – Burkina Faso Tel: +22650 37 45 03/05/08 | fax: +22650 37 49 69 ifdcburkina@ifdc.org | Website www.ifdc.org
For more information on USAID WACIP project activities, please go to: www.wacip.org. ###
Meeting participants included (from left to right) L. McBride; Dr. Djimet Adoum, Chadian Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation; Mark Boulware, U.S. Ambassador to Chad; DjimasbĂŠ Ngaradoum, WACIP/Chad coordinator; and Blaise Fadoegnon, WACIP program manager.
Minister Adoum participating in the NAC meeting.
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