Report of the Center Commisioned External Review (CCER) of the ICRISAT Western and Central Africa (WCA) Region

The scientific aspects of the ICRISAT Westem and Central Africa (WCA) program are sound. The balance of crop improvement and resource management was appropriate, but the portfolio mix of resource management research needs to shift to more basic, long-term activities including greater involvement in modeling. More applied, site-specific research especially rates and dates, responses to one factor, and on-farm experiments needs to be devolved to the NARS. The team was impressed with the progress made by ICRISAT in its collaborative relationships with NARS, but also observed that more progress could be made on joint planning of research problems to be addressed, analyses, and final report writing. Moreover, given the acute financial crises confornted by the NARS in spite of World Bank funding, more ICRISAT technical support in obtaining outside funds for NARS would be a very appreciated help from ICRISAT. The principal concern of the team was a need for more active involvement in the activities necessary to get new cultivars now emerging from NARS-ICRISAT collaboration out into the field. Private seed production, fertilizer distribution, and improved product markets including alternative uses for ICRISAT commodities all need to be developed to accelerate the diffusion of the new cultivars. In collaboration with the NARS and regional orgarizations, such as INSAH, there is an important role for the ICRISAT WCA program in providing technical and administrative support and helping to resolve bottlenecks in these critical activities. (Résumé d'auteur