Regional research needs are many & are determined by several factors: Food security Commercial value Socio-economic value Response to regional strategies Regional priorities  broad & representative of common national priorities

1. Priorities for Agricultural Research for
Development in Southern Africa
Monica Murata
APPSA Coordinator
1st CCARDESA General Assembly, Gaborone, Botswana
CCARDESA Secretariat

2. Background
• Regional research needs are many & are
determined by several factors:
- Food security
- Commercial value
- Socio-economic value
- Response to regional strategies
• Regional priorities  broad & representative of
common national priorities

3. The significance of regional priorities
• Basis for regional research strategy & areas
of focus
• Guide resource mobilisation efforts
- Determine the technical areas of resource
mobilisation

4. The significance of regional priorities
• Provide clarity on:
- Status and pertinent issues
- challenges
- opportunities
• Basis for regional research strategy & areas of
focus
• Guide resource mobilisation efforts
- Guide the depth and width of resource allocation
- Determine the technical areas of resource
mobilisation

5. Process of identification of priorities
• Carried out by SADC Secretariat & CCARDESA
Interim Secretariat => 2yr period (2010 - 2012)
• Partnership with other regional organisations
(especially IFPRI & ReSAKSS-Southern Africa)
• Two expert studies carried out
• Used the SADC MAPP documents which:
- identified broad R&D thematic areas
- cross-cutting issues
• Involved wide consultations within the region

6. Study 1
• Carried out by IFPRI/Regional Strategic
Analysis & Knowledge Management System
(ReSAKSS)-Southern Africa (2011)
• Objectives:
- identify priorities for investment in agricultural
R&D among agricultural commodities
- identify interventions necessary for
contributing to increased productivity

7. Results of Study 1
• Study generated a prioritized list of the most
attractive opportunities to generate
technology spillovers in the SADC region
• Findings confirmed the Region offers attractive
opportunities for regional research efforts
- there is potential for finding shared solutions to
common problems.
• Although technology spillover is already
occurring, significant potential remains for
expanding spillovers.

8. R&D priorities based on potential
contribution to agricultural growth
RANK COMMODITY
1 Maize
2 Cassava
3 Fruit and Veg.
4 Rice
5 Fisheries
6 Cattle
7 Wheat
8 Potato
9 Beans
10 Sorghum

9. R&D priorities based on regional spillover
potential
RANK COMMODITY
1 Maize
2 Rice
3 Cattle
4 Cassava
5 Sorghum
6 Beans
7 Potato
8 Wheat
9 Fruits and Vegetables
9 Fisheries

10. Study 2 (2012)
• Objective:
To identify priority areas and activities for
R&D investment along the entire value chain
within individual priority commodities.
• Study organised in four key areas:
- Crops
- Livestock
- Forestry
- Fisheries

11. Key Priorities - Crops
1. Priority Breeding/crop variety development
- developing high yielding varieties
- tolerance to pests and diseases
- Resilience to climatic stress
- Improving nutritional value
- heat & low soil fertility
2. Soil fertility and plant nutrient management
3. Improving seed supply and quality
4. Promotion of water harvesting technologies
5. Linking farmers to markets

12. Key priorities – Crops (cont.)
 Post harvest management of crops
- Agro-processing, food safety and value
addition
- Appropriate storage structures (rodent-
proof and insect-proof storage
structures.
 Mitigating the impact of climate change

13. Key priorities – Livestock
1. Enhancing rangeland quality & H2O resource
management.
2. Characterization of indigenous stock, with
the view to promoting the use of local stock
in selective breeding.
3. Upgrading of the indigenous stocks,
through coordinated crossbreeding
4. Control & eradication of Transboundary
Animal Diseases (TAD)

14. Key priorities - Fisheries
1. Sustainable harvesting & management of
marine fisheries;
2. Sustainable harvesting & management of inland
fisheries;
3. Enhancing productivity of aquaculture, fish
processing, food safety, value addition;
4. Marketing & trade of fish & fish products;
5. Biotechnology & conservation of fish genetic
resources;
6. Policy research on aquaculture & fisheries

15. Key priorities - Forestry
1. Production & sustainable use of natural forests and
woodlands for multiple benefits
2. Plantation development with commercial tree
species
3. Value-added processing & marketing of wood &
non-wood forest products
4. Managing multipurpose trees in cultivated / farmed
landscapes for multiple products, including soil
fertility improvement.
5. Forests for Ecosystem Services (water, biodiversity,
genetic resources & climate change)
6. Policies to support sustainable forest management