The West and Central Africa Semi-Arid Tropics (WCA-SAT)

Capacity Building

Events like field days, farmers to farmer visits and training in seed production techniques are organized from time to time. A number of them took place at Sadoré station (Niger), at Samanko station (Mali) and on project sites in Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and Nigeria. Along with farmers and scientists, high ranking officials also attended the events. Women were a special target group. Overall, more than 3000 stakeholders were made aware of improved varieties in the three countries from 2006 to 2009.

Training courses imparted different levels of skills including:

• The use of advanced modern simulation tools
• Management and establishment of warrantage schemes (inventory credit schemes)
• Participatory variety selection
• Statistical data management and analysis
• Vegetable seed production
• Multiplication and storage
• Multi-locational data analysis using GENSTAT
• Small-scale business skills for seed production
• Breeding methods
• The use of Global Positioning System (GPS)
• Nursery management and crop protection.

An American volunteer and a young lady from Niger learning the art of grafting.