21 May 2014 A press release from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture announces that the institute has signed a partnership agreement to help Guinea in the production and promotion of the cassava, maize, cowpea and soybean value chains.
The agreement also involves improvement of the livestock value chain, and under its terms, IITA will help the country link up with livestock value chain actors including the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).
IITA will also mobilize both local and international development partners, to help accelerate Guinea’s agricultural growth, cutting across the value chains of key staples including livestock.
We’re told that the signing of the agreement follows recent interactions between IITA Ambassador Olusegun Obasanjo and the Guinean government in which the leadership of the West African country sought solutions on how to move the country’s agriculture forward.
Guinea is the world’s second largest producer of bauxite and also has rich deposits of diamonds and gold. However, the Government is placing greater attention on agriculture in order to diversify and also achieve sustainable development.