APPSA to fast-track outstanding activities as Phase 2 heads for year 3 of implementation

This was raised by Tahira Syed, APPSA Task Team Leader (TTL) based in the World Bank office in Washington DC, during her opening remarks in the third joint virtual Implementation Support Mission to the Agricultural Productivity Programme for Southern Africa (APPSA) in Angola and Lesotho. The Mission kicked off on 15th November and will be concluded on 19th November 2021.

APPSA is a regional World Bank funded initiative currently implemented in Angola and Lesotho to establish a Regional Center of Leadership (RCoL) on Cassava and Cassava-based farming systems and a Regional Center of Leadership in Horticulture and Horticulture-based farming systems, respectively.

According to Tahira, this mission will be the last before the project mid-term review, which is scheduled for August next year, as the six-year project heads for year three of implementation. “We need to take stock of where we are in terms of achievements and issues that need to be resolved. In order for the mid-term review to go well, we really need to come together and show good progress”, added Tahira Syed.

In his opening remarks, Dr Cliff Sibusiso Dlamini, the CCARDESA Executive Director, applauded the work done by Angola and Lesotho with support from CCARDESA and the World Bank, particularly in addressing the key action points from the last ISM, despite COVID-19 related challenges that have affected implementation of some activities on the ground. “Some notable achievements include: identification of 13 technologies (6 in Lesotho and 7 in Angola) from the shelf for dissemination; engagement of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) from South Africa to support scientists in the development of 10 R&D project proposals and ensure quality of science; making a new call for concept notes; training of scientists from Angola and Lesotho on proposal writing; training of PIU staff and scientists on results-based monitoring and evaluation; and undertaking a physical backstopping mission in Lesotho and a virtual one in Angola. Other planned activities are on-going and will be completed before end of December 2021”, shared Dr Dlamini.

APPSA is a collaborative research programme based essentially on partnerships between two or more implementing countries. Both Angola and Lesotho have reiterated their commitment to continue working together to successfully implement local and regional activities.

According to Dr João Neto, Director of the Agronomic Research Institute (IIA) of Angola, APPSA must be focused on delivering meaningful results, which is what the region and the global community expect to see. “Angola, being a Cassava RCoL has successfully installed in Malanje 118 accessions for technology showcase to display best practices and techniques for growing about 5 different cassava varieties”, added Dr Neto.

The representative of the Director for Agricultural Research in Lesotho, Ms Rethabile Nchee, highlighted the relevance of APPSA in strengthening country-scientific capacity for generation of agricultural technologies and innovation as well as appropriate dissemination of such. “At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was so much that we could not do or achieve. Now that the situation is gradually getting back to normal, let us pull up our sleeves so that by the end of the 6 years we have better technologies that can be transferred to other countries in the SADC region”, suggested Ms Nchee.

On day 2, countries and CCARDESA will be giving details on progress achieved on the implementation of 8 R&D sub-projects commissioned in 2020, 10 R&D research proposals being developed with assistance from ARC and developments regarding the call for Concept Notes.