April 2014
80
RELEVANT
ARC-GCI helping to close research
traininggap inAfrica
T
he ARC-Grain Crops Institute (ARC-
GCI) conduct research, technology
development and technology trans-
fer on all its mandated crops and
also someotherminor crops. Thevision is to
developand transfer technology toall clients
through trainingand skillsdevelopment.
AgriSETA accredited the Agricultural Re-
searchCouncil as an education and training
provider in the agricultural sector in terms
of the SouthAfricanQualificationAuthority
Act of 1995. The Grain Crops Institute (GCI)
is involved in local as well as international
trainingprogrammes.
In collaborationwithGrainSA, theARC-GCI
is involved in a training project to increase
the capacity and capabilities of smallholder
farmers, through skills development and
provision of extension services in order
to revive agricultural productivity in rural
farming areas inSouthAfrica.
Trainingwas conducted by the ARC-GCI on
maize, sunflower, sorghum, dry beans and
production in four of the nine provinces:
The North West Province, Mpumalanga,
Limpopo and Gauteng. Farmers were
trained in their own communities and land
reform farmers at their own farms. The
total number of farmers trained is 805. The
training is being done where necessary in
collaboration with other sister institutes,
the Departments of Agriculture, Rural
Development and Land Reform and non-
governmental organisations (NGO’s).
The ARC-GCI is also very fortunate to
be part of the ARC team involved in the
capacity building project to enhance food
security inAfrica.Theaimof theSustainable
Intensification Of Maize-Legume Cropping
Systems For Food Security In Eastern
and Southern Africa (SIMLESA) project is
to increase farm-level food security and
productivity, in the context of climate risk
and change which will result in resilient,
profitable and sustainable farming systems
that can overcome food insecurity for
significant numbers of farm families.
The project was launched in 2010 and
funded by the Australian government
through the Australian Centre for Interna-
tional Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and
managed by the International Maize and
Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) in
close collaborationwith government-funded
research institutions in thepartner countries.
More than a decade of underinvestment
in tertiary education and agricultural re-
search has left widespread gaps in Africa.
A significant proportion of the national
researchers in the region are close to
retirement and there is need for renewed
investment in training, and for young
scientists to be involved in interdisciplinary
impact oriented research which results in
productivity and sustainability increases as
well as poverty reduction.
The program includes both non-degree
practical training and post-graduate degree
training. The ARC was contracted as a key
role-player in addressing the skills cap.
SIMLESAwas launched in2010with theaim
of increasing household and regional food
security and incomes and contributing to
economic development by improving the
productivity and intensification of maize-
legume-based farming systems.
The ARC signed a MoA with CIMMYT to
undertake capacity building of scientists
and extension officers in the following ten
participating countries: Botswana, Ethiopia,
Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda,
SouthSudan,Tanzania,UgandaandZambia.
Cross-visits are taking place between
these countries with the focus on training
in conservation agriculture in the maize-
legumesystemsand in innovationplatforms
for the management of stakeholders along
thevaluechain,working inmulti-disciplinary
teams to ensure technology uptake to the
market.
The capacity building done by the ARC,
focused on helping SIMLESA partners
to better understand the concepts and
practices of conservation agriculture (CA)
and innovation platforms (IP). Researchers,
extension staff andmembers of innovation
learning platforms (ILeP) as well as other
SIMLESA partners (NGO’s, seed producers,
agro-dealers, etc.) attended the in-country
workshops.
Workshops are conducted in Pretoria,
Ethiopia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania
and Potchefstroom and were attended by
227participants.
The ARC did not only have the opportunity
to share their knowledge about grain
production, but also learn more about the
challenges the rest of Africa are facing
regarding foodproduction. The researchers
also had opportunities to rub shoulders
with other research institutions such as
CIMMYT, ICRISAT, Murdoch University in
Western Australia, the Queensland Alliance
forAgricultureandFood Innovation (QAAFI)
and the Association for Strengthening
Agricultural Research inEasternandCentral
Africa (ASARECA).
Through SIMLESA, the ARC is increasing
its footprint in Africa – an estimated
650 000 farmers across the ten countries
– and establishing links with other national
agricultural research institutions. The
training programme is co-ordinated by
Dr Yolisa Pakela-Jezile at ARC-CO and
MsAnneliedeBeer at ARC-GCI.
For ARC-GCI training enquiries, contact De
Beer or JustinusMashao at 018 299 6100.
JUSTINUSMASHAO
and
ANNELIEDE BEER,
ARC-GrainCrops Institute
1: Agroupdiscussion session.
2: Apractical demonstration.
3: Young scientists from seven countries at-
tended twoweeksof trainingat theARC-GCI.
4: Participants from Rwanda, Uganda and
SouthSoudan trained inKigali, Rwanda.
5: Moses Ramusi showed the SIMLESA
participants cages containing leafhoppers
(
C. mbila
) that transmit maize streak virus
fromgrasses tomaize.
6: Dr Annemie Erasmus with the SIMLESA
participants in the entomology laboratory.
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