Kumasi, June 3, GNA - Ghana's efforts at reducing poverty through increased food production has been given momentum by the 93West African Productivity Programme (WAPP)" an intervention funded by the World Bank. Under the phase one of the 10-year pilot project, four improved cassava varieties had been released by the Crops Research Institute (CRI) o= f the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

Additionally, bio-technology facilities at the CRI are being upgraded to allow for technology generation and transfer. Mr Isaac Baning, Principal Scientific Secretary of the Institute, made this known when he together with three other officials of the CRI called at the Kumasi Office of the Ghana News Agency (GNA) to interact with reporters. WAPP was developed by the West and Central Africa Centre for Research and Development (WACRD) based in Senegal to aid growth in food production and help bring down hunger in the sub-region. The participating countries are Ghana, Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso an= d Cote d'Ivoire. Mr Baning said each of these countries had established a national centre of specialization focusing on commodities, which they have comparative advantage.

In the case of Ghana, the emphasis is on the root and tuber crops including yam, potato and cassava, while Mali is giving more attention to maize and rice with Senegal concentrating on sorghum, millet and other drought tolerant crops. Through this arrangement, researchers would share experiences, technology and information and by this promote trade.