Nyankpala (N/R), Oct. 11, GNA - The Chairman of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), has called on the Government to set aside a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for scientific research and development.

Professor Eugene H. Amonoo-Neizer, who made the call, said it was in line African Union's protocol, which mandated members of the continental body to set aside one per cent of their GDP to research in areas that would improve knowledge in science. He said most governments in Africa had been concern with issues that would win them votes thereby neglecting the pursuit of science which was the key to development.

Prof Amonoo-Neizer was speaking at Nyankpala in the Tolon/Kumbungu District of the Northern Region on Monday, during his maiden visit to the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) as Head of CSIR.

Prof Amonoo-Neizer who is also the former Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and a past Diplomat announced that the country would soon get a horticultural institute to make the industry viable.

He noted that through Government's intervention the shea industry was now growing faster enough to surpass the country's major cash crop-cocoa.

Prof Amonoo-Neizer lauded the dedicated services of scientists at the Institute, which is a subsidiary of SARI despite the high attrition rate of the staff and assured them of efforts to improve on their conditions of service.

Dr Stephen Nutsugah, Director of SARI outlined the activities of the research institute, which was set up in 980 with GTZ (German Agency for Technical Co-operation) finance and technical support. He said the research areas of the Institute, which is operational in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions, included crop improvement, soil fertility management, cropping systems, crop protection and post harvest improvement.

Dr Nutsugah said throughout the years SARI had undertaken numerous research studies that had led to the discovery of variety of rice, soyabean and as well as other innovations that had improved on agricultural produce in the country.

He said agricultural productivity had been low and stagnated due to limited use of inputs such as fertilisers and improved seeds by farmers coupled with the rapid decline in soil fertility and erratic rainfall.