Within the framework of the ATAC and the Development of Commercial Agriculture projects, funded respectively by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the World Bank in Congo Brazzaville, 12 officers from the ministry of agriculture, the National Research Institute (IRA), the National Center for Improved Seed (CNSA) and the National Center for the Management of Crop Diseases (CNLMC) were trained across four IITA stations in DR Congo, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zambia, with the objective to strengthen the capacity of the Agricultural Officers so that they could train others in their home country, the Republic of Congo.
The workshops in DR Congo, Nigeria, and Zambia covered various themes and incorporated presentations and interactive discussions. The trainees were familiarized with sustainable seed systems to raise awareness on seed quality, explaining different approaches to produce cassava planting materials, maize and soybean seeds, and the integrated management of seed multiplication fields. They also received practical instruction on operationalizing seed certification standards, including quality declared seed (SQD), protocols, and quality control mechanisms. Additionally, participants visited fields where maize, soybean, and cassava planting materials for the ATAC/PRODIVAC project would be sourced for introduction to Congo-Brazzaville for multiplication.