The Director of Research and Innovation at the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF), Dr. Emmanuel Njukwe, has urged ministries and agencies within the agricultural sector to supply farmers with essential data to enhance their productivity.
He emphasized that the numerous institutions, departments, and agencies involved in agricultural data collection in Ghana make it difficult for farmers, international organizations, and NGOs to access accurate agricultural data. Dr. Njukwe also highlighted that misplacement of personnel trained for specific roles often complicates the process, limiting the efficient collection of critical agricultural data.
“Data collection in the region is complex due to the involvement of different ministries and agencies. This hampers efforts to institutionalize consistent research models. Additionally, human capacity remains a challenge, with trained professionals working outside their fields of expertise,” Dr. Njukwe explained.
To address these challenges, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and regional partners have been working to raise awareness about the Agricultural Sciences and Technology Indicators (ASTI). They aim to support African countries in developing long-term, institutionalized data collection systems.
ASTI is an open-source platform that provides valuable data on agricultural research in developing countries. This data is used by policymakers, research managers, donor organizations, and stakeholders to evaluate the performance of agricultural research, prioritize investments, and promote gender inclusivity in research.
Hernán Daniel Muñoz, ASTI Project Leader at FAO, spoke at a three-day regional workshop, emphasizing the need to tailor data collection models to each country’s specific circumstances. “We aim to build national plans in each country that implement data collection models suited to their institutional settings, capacities, and agricultural sector relevance,” Muñoz stated.
Dr. Wilhemina Quaye, Director of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (CSIR-STEPRI), added that the Council is collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture to provide the necessary data to farmers to boost productivity.
