On April 10, 2025, the CSIR-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI) welcomed a high-level delegation led by H.E. Jules-Armand Aniambossou, Ambassador of France to Ghana, on a working visit to to the CSIR-SARI head office at Nyankpala. This strategic engagement followed an earlier exploratory visit by embassy representatives during the 2024 rainy season, where they witnessed firsthand the transformative technologies being piloted and promoted at the CORAF sponsored initiative, Agricultural Technology Park (ATP) located in Nyankpala.
The visit, which formed part of the broader Team France Mission agenda, aimed to explore pathways for collaboration in scaling out climate-smart and market-responsive agricultural innovations developed by CSIR-SARI. Accompanied by his team, Ambassador Aniambossou was introduced to a suite of proven technologies— including CSIR-SARI’s yam propagation method where yam vines through several practices are used to produce healthy seed yam for seed producers and farmers.
During a strategic dialogue session, the Director of CSIR-SARI, Dr. Francis Kusi, outlined the institute’s vision of becoming a center of excellence for adaptive agricultural research and sustainable technology transfer in the Guinea and Sudan savanna agroecological zones. He emphasized the critical role the ATP plays in bridging the gap between research outputs and end-user adoption, especially among smallholder farmers, agripreneurs, and extension service providers.
Dr. Kusi made a passionate appeal for support to establish irrigation infrastructure at the ATP, noting that the park’s full potential can only be realized through year-round demonstration and training activities. This, he stressed, is essential for sustaining farmer engagement, attracting private sector investment, and fostering technology uptake beyond the traditional rainy season.
“The technologies we showcase here are game-changers, but our ability to scale them hinges on year-round accessibility. With irrigation, the ATP becomes not just a seasonal exhibition ground but a living laboratory for innovation and impact,” he said.
The ambassador expressed admiration for the progress made by CSIR-SARI under the CORAF-backed initiative and affirmed the commitment of Team France to fostering impactful partnerships in Ghana’s agriculture sector. Discussions are ongoing to identify concrete areas where French expertise and development cooperation can support infrastructure development, technology transfer, and capacity building within the ATP framework.
The visit marks a significant milestone in CSIR-SARI’s pursuit of strategic partnerships to operationalize the ATP as a regional hub for agricultural transformation. It also aligns with CORAF’s broader agenda of strengthening national agricultural research systems (NARS) and accelerating the delivery of science-based solutions across West and Central Africa.
As Ghana’s agriculture continues to confront the challenges of climate variability and food security, partnerships like this represent a beacon of hope—anchored in science, strengthened by collaboration, and driven by the vision of inclusive rural transformation.