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Regional Center for Africa
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Background
AVRDC's Regional Center for Africa (RCA) was established in Arusha, Tanzania in 1992 to conduct vegetable research, training and information services for the benefit of national research programs in Africa. Located at Madiira Vegetable Research and Training Station - 15 km from Arusha, the station is strategically placed adjoining the Horticultural Research and Training Institute with facilities for research and residential training programs. |
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Mission
To enhance the nutritional well-being and raise the income of rural and urban poor in the developing countries through improved methods of vegetable production, marketing and distribution, taking into account the need to preserve the quality of the environment. |
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Executive Assistant
Contact
AVRDC - The World Vegetable Center
Regional Center for Africa (RCA)
PO Box 10, Duluti, Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255-27-255-3093 / 255-3102
Fax: +255-27-255-3125
Email: info-africa(at)worldveg.org
Director: Abdou Tenkouano, abdou.tenkouano(at)worldveg.org |
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Research
RCA's research is directed towards indigenous
vegetable crops strategically important in the major regions of
Africa and vegetables
particular to AVRDC's mission such as tomato,
pepper, eggplant, onion,
shallot, garlic, cabbage,
Chinese cabbage, vegetable
soybean, mungbean, and vegetable cowpea. RCA
addresses the major research issues of its mandate commodities through
a two-pronged approach. Enhance the
genetic potential of these vegetable crops and develop technology
packages to maximize its production and utilization and to improve the environment, land and people, in which
these crops are grown.
Training
RCA conducts a 5-month training course yearly on vegetable production for the benefit of researchers and extension specialists working with the national agricultural research and extension systems (NARES), NGOs, and the private sector in sub-Saharan Africa. Short-term skill oriented courses are also organized from time to time. In-country training courses of 2 to 3 weeks on need-based topics mutually identified by African NARES/sponsors and RCA are conducted for vegetable researchers and extension specialists. Opportunities are available for research internships, post-graduate thesis research, and Post-Doctoral placements on different aspects of vegetable crops agronomy, production, breeding, crop protection, among others. The
general goal of these training events is to enhance the capacity of
the staff working with NARES, NGOs, and the private sector in Africa
to carry out vegetable research and development programs. |
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Networks
RCA in close cooperation with the Southern African Center for Cooperation in Agricultural Research and Training (SACCAR) initiated a Collaborative Network of Vegetable Research and Development (CONVERDS). The CONVERDS is a technical organization charged with coordinating and promoting vegetable research and development agenda and jointly planning to solve pressing problems on vegetable production and utilization in SADC region. Recently, West African NARS established the West Africa Vegetable Network (WAVNET), and RCA will be closely associated with this new network. Similarly, RCA is actively partaking in the ASARECA initiatives in vegetable research and development programs in the region. |
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Genetic Resources Repository
RCA will carry out collection, characterization, evaluation, maintenance and documentation on vegetable species that are strategically important in the major regions of Africa, with special emphasis on African indigenous vegetables. AVRDC will make available germplasm and improved genotype/lines to all interested scientists in national programs. Adapted lines are disseminated to the interested persons working with the NARES, NGOs, and the private sector and also to small-scale farmers and women groups. |
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