Welcome To Website IAS

Hot news
Achievement

Independence Award

- First Rank - Second Rank - Third Rank

Labour Award

- First Rank - Second Rank -Third Rank

National Award

 - Study on food stuff for animal(2005)

 - Study on rice breeding for export and domestic consumption(2005)

VIFOTEC Award

- Hybrid Maize by Single Cross V2002 (2003)

- Tomato Grafting to Manage Ralstonia Disease(2005)

- Cassava variety KM140(2010)

Centres
Website links
Vietnamese calendar
Library
Visitors summary
 Curently online :  2
 Total visitors :  7500153

AATF Establishes First Early Generation Seed Production Entity in Sub-Saharan Africa
Saturday, 2017/02/04 | 06:51:06

The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) has established the first early generation seed production entity in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to effectively and efficiently supply high quality foundation seed for small and medium enterprise (SME) seed companies on the continent. The establishment, announced on January 30, 2017 by AATF's Executive Director Dr. Denis Kyetere, will be known as QualiBasic Seed. It will be based in Nairobi, Kenya, and has received an initial five year investment of US$ 8.4 Million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

 

QualiBasic was established to address technical, infrastructural, and financial challenges that seed companies face in maintenance, multiplication, and timely supply of quality foundation seed. Overcoming these challenges is essential to improving farm productivity by small holder farmers. This is because low access and use of poor quality foundation seed by seed companies result to low crop yields and crop failure, in some cases, for small holder farmers. This affects sustainable food production and costs the continent a valuable development opportunity. 

 

"Huge investments have been made by donors through various global public crop improvement programs for the benefit of African farmers. These breeding programs have released high yielding and very adaptable crop varieties, for example, maize hybrids, that offer high productivity opportunities. However, the benefits of these products are yet to be realized by smallholder farmers due to delayed seed production in some cases and low quality seed in others," said Enock Chikava, Deputy Director Agricultural Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

 

Under the partnership, AATF will help establish and nurture QualiBasic into a professional fully-fledged, independent and sustainable private sector driven business within five years. QualiBasic operations will start with foundation seed for maize in East and Southern Africa then grow to serve other cereals and legumes across SSA when fully functional. Three foundation seed production hubs with seed processing and storage facilities will be established in Kenya, Zambia and South Africa by the second and third year of operations, in order to meet demand for products in a timely manner, and avoid lengthy delays in seed movements.

 

http://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/files/images/2017-02-01-AATF.jpg

 

For more information, contact Nancy Juma on n.juma@aatf-africa.org

Back      Print      View: 680

[ Other News ]___________________________________________________
  • Beyond genes: Protein atlas scores nitrogen fixing duet
  • 2016 Borlaug CAST Communication Award Goes to Dr. Kevin Folta
  • FAO and NEPAD team up to boost rural youth employment in Benin, Cameroon, Malawi and Niger
  • Timely seed distributions in Ethiopia boost crop yields, strengthen communities’ resilience
  • Parliaments must work together in the final stretch against hunger
  • Empowering women farmers in the polder communities of Bangladesh
  • Depression: let’s talk
  • As APEC Concludes, CIP’s Food Security and Climate Smart Agriculture on Full Display
  • CIAT directly engages with the European Cocoa Industry
  • Breeding tool plays a key role in program planning
  • FAO: Transform Agriculture to Address Global Challenges
  • Uganda Holds Banana Research Training for African Scientists and Biotechnology Regulators
  • US Congress Ratifies Historic Global Food Security Treaty
  • Fruit Fly`s Genetic Code Revealed
  • Seminar at EU Parliament Tackles GM Crops Concerns
  • JICA and IRRI ignites a “seed revolution” for African and Asian farmers
  • OsABCG26 Vital in Anther Cuticle and Pollen Exine Formation in Rice
  • Akira Tanaka, IRRI’s first physiologist, passes away
  • WHO calls for immediate safe evacuation of the sick and wounded from conflict areas
  • Farmer Field School in Tonga continues to break new ground in the Pacific for training young farmers

 

Designed & Powered by WEBSO CO.,LTD