Agro-processing facilities at IITA Kalambo excite First Lady of DR Congo
11 July 2014
Madame Olive Lembe Kabila, the First Lady of the Democratic Republic of Congo, paid a visit to the IITA-Kalambo Station on 7 July. She was accompanied by her children, the South Kivu Governor, and top government officials.
Dr Chris Okafor, IITA-Kalambo Officer in Charge, and Dr Marie Yomeni, SARD-SC Cassava Commodity Specialist, received the visitors and took them on a tour of the station. This included the fabrication unit, processing units for cassava and soybean, the product exhibition center, greenhouse, e-library, and laboratories.
The First Lady showed her keen interest in the facilities which were established because of the pressing need for improved agroprocessing technologies and agroprocessed foods in DRC. During the tour, she was briefed about the cost of the agroprocessing equipment, how cassava and soybean processing technologies would be extended to farmers and agroprocessors, the use of crop diversification to minimize farmers’ risks, soil and plant analyses, and fertilizer application.
The First Lady inquired about how the dissemination of improved technologies was taking care of women’s needs. She was assured that IITA had the capacity and technologies to address the issues she raised and was willing to support and collaborate with her initiatives, especially in North Kivu and Katanga provinces.
In her parting words, she wrote in the visitors’ book “Je suis impressionnĂ©e par la qualitĂ© de cet Institut avec tout son personnel. Ceci dit lĂ oĂą sont les humains, il y aura toujours Ă©volution de la science………… Merci pour cet accueil aussi chaleureux.” “I am impressed by the quality of this Institution and its staff… meaning that where human beings are, evolution of science always occurs. Thank you for your warm welcome.”
For more details, please contact: Andrea Gros, a.gros@cgiar.org
About IITA www.iita.org
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is one of the world’s leading research partners in finding solutions for hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. Its award-winning research for development (R4D) approach addresses the development needs of tropical countries. IITA works with partners to enhance crop quality and productivity, reduce producer and consumer risks, and generate wealth from agriculture. IITA is a non-profit organization founded in 1967 in Nigeria and governed by a Board of Trustees. IITA works on the following crops: cowpea, soybean, banana/plantain, yam, cassava, and maize. IITA is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future.
