IPGRI activities in SSA

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MUSACO was created in 1997 under the auspices of the WECARD/CORAF. It has 12 country (Benin, Cameroun, the Central African Republic, The Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Senegal) and three institutional (IITA, CRBP and INIBAP) members. The goal of MUSACO is to contribute to sustainable production of, and productivity in, banana and plantain in West and central Africa for increased income and food security. MUSACO attempts to achieve this goal through research, information exchange, capacity building, and technology transfer. The network is governed by a steering committee that develops annual and medium-term work plans according to the regional priorities. The INIBAP programme of IPGRI coordinates MUSACO from its regional office for West and central Africa in Douala, Cameroon. INIBAP organized and funded the third annual steering committee meeting held in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire in December 1999. MUSACO members recommended that fact sheets be prepared on technologies available in the subregion and that germplasm collections be made in the Congo basin and elsewhere in order to characterize and conserve the complete diversity of Musa in West and central Africa.

BARNESA was formed in October 1994 by a consortium of national, regional and international research organizations with an interest in banana research in the region. The network comprises 10 NARS: Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Rwanda, Republic of South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. In addition, the international and regional centers, INIBAP/IPGRI, IITA, ICIPE, Kenya and the Institut de Recherches Agronomique et Zootechnique, Burundi are ex officio members of the network. BARNESA has developed a five-year strategic plan, the implementation of which has resulted in more visibility and funding for Musa research in the subregion. NARS scientists are benefiting from increased contacts between each other.