Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) alongside other agriculture leaders, policymakers, farmers, and seed companies met at the 2024 SeedConnect Africa, West Africa’s premier forum to chart way forward on using technologies to scale up agricultural productivity.
The Programme is leading discussions on leveraging Seed Technology to Scale Up Africa’s Agricultural Productivity, electronic /digital extension services to enhance the adoption of certified seeds by farmers, leveraging technology for seed distribution and access, and farmer community-managed seed systems at the conference.
During one of the opening sessions, the TAAT Private Sector Specialist, Mr Geoffrey Nsofon reiterated TAAT’s focal commitment to boosting agricultural productivity through the scaling up of innovative agricultural technologies across Africa.
“TAAT is achieving this through its African Cereal and Legume Breeding Consortium (ACLBC), a contemporary step towards an integrated approach that builds on years of experience in plant breeding, agronomic research, and seed system development in Africa,” Nsofon said.
“Within months of inception, the consortium is already facilitating the sharing of genetic resources and breeding techniques for superior crop varieties with private seed companies while serving as an incubator for innovation in plant breeding technologies” Nsofon added.
The ACLBC, a product of the collaborative efforts between the African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) and the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) represents a forward-thinking approach to boosting Africa’s agricultural productivity.
By harnessing the combined strengths and resources of both public and private sectors, ACLBC seeks to address the urgent need for advanced cereal and legume varieties that can thrive amidst climate challenges and shifting market demands.
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TAAT has scaled up the dissemination of heat-tolerant wheat varieties, drought-tolerant maize, high-yielding rice, cassava, high-iron bean, sorghum, millet, orange-fleshed sweetpotato varieties and high-quality livestock breeds, and fingerlings to more than 12 million farmers, boosting crop production by an estimated 25 million tonnes.
This increase in food production is a testament to the programme’s effectiveness in enhancing agricultural productivity across the continent.
TAAT acquires cutting-edge technologies from developers and agricultural research institutions led by the CGIAR for several agricultural value chains covering crops, livestock and fisheries, vets them for scaling readiness and integrates them into its electronic technology catalogue.
It also engages governments to integrate proven technologies into their large-scale agricultural investment programmes and partner with the private sector to commercialise them.
The SeedConnect Africa is an annual event that brings together investors, policy, agriculture and food systems experts to discuss and catalyse seed sector investments and partnerships within the agricultural sector in Nigeria and West Africa.
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