Fumesua (Ash), Aug. 2, GNA- Dr. Hans Adu-Dapaah, Director in charge of the Crops Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), has expressed worry about the poor conditions of service for workers of the Institute. He said that the situation had resulted in a high number of experienced researchers and scientists leaving the Institute to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and Universities, whilst other personnel travelled overseas in search of greener pastures. Dr. Adu-Dapaah was addressing a delegation of the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) on Friday during the latter's visit to the CRI to inspect research projects on maize, Cassava and cowpea which they are sponsoring at Fumesua near Kumasi

The delegation was led by Mr. Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, who was also chairman of the group. Dr. Adu-Dapaah appealed to corporate bodies and NGOs to collaborate effectively with the Institute in facilitating research to ensure that the nation achieved a breakthrough in agricultural development. He said the Institute takes a holistic approach in developing and disseminating high yielding crops. Dr. Adu-Dapaah said plantain variety and eight cassava varieties had been developed through research and the cassava being used by the President's Special Initiative on cassava to produce cassava for industrial purposes.

Mr. Annan urged governments in developing nations to invest in agriculture to ensure food sufficiency for the growing population on the continent.

He assured management of the CRI of AGRA's continued support in research to enable the body to achieve its aims. The projects encompasses the development of hybrid maize varieties for the forest and forest-savanna transition zones of Ghana, improving farmer-preferred cowpea varieties through introgression of genes for flower Thrips and Cercospora leaf spot resistance as well as the improvement of farmer-preferred cassava Landraces through Introgression of genes for ACMV Resistance for Food and other uses.