APPSA Angola and Lesotho in Exchange Visit to EMBRAPA

The Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) facilitated a technical exchange visit of delegates from the Republic of Angola and the Kingdom of Lesotho to the Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA) from the 15th to the 19th of May 2023, under the Agricultural Productivity Programme for Southern Africa (APPSA).

A total of 17 delegates had an opportunity to appreciate the work undertaken by EMBRAPA in Brazil on vegetables, cassava and fruits as these are the commodities of interest for Angola and Lesotho. Under APPSA, Angola is establishing a Regional Center of Leadership on Cassava and Cassava-based farming systems whereas Lesotho is focusing on Horticulture and Horticulture-based farming systems.

The exchange visit started with a courtesy call to the Head of Advisory Services and International Cooperation at EMBRAPA headquarters in Brasilia, Dr Alexandre Morais do Amaral, where delegates learned about the rich history of the organization since its inception, major accomplishments, ongoing research and development programmes, and sustainability plans. Country delegates, comprising APPSA Scientists and members of Project Implementation Units (PIUs), were led by the Director of Instituto de Investigação Agronómica (IIA) of Angola and the Director of the Department of Agricultural Research of Lesotho, Dr João Ferreira da Costa Neto, and Dr Lefulesele Lebesa, respectively.

Delegates also discussed innovative irrigation approaches currently employed by EMBRAPA

EMBRAPA is the main public agricultural research organization in Brazil with a total of 42 specialized research centers across the country focusing on different commodities of interest. Its main mandate is to create research, development, and innovation solutions to ensure the sustainability of agriculture, for the benefit of the Brazilian society. For Angola and Lesotho, the visit to EMBRAPA was of paramount importance as their research experience mainly on horticulture and cassava is globally recognized and successfully addresses issues which are similar for both countries.

In Brasilia, delegates also visited the EMBRAPA Vegetables research center and discussed with local Scientists about research models and potential collaboration between the two parties. Field visits in this research center included sweet potato, lettuce and tomato breeding programs, virology laboratory as well as plenary discussions on irrigation approaches and water conservation and/or re-use in the face of climate change.

Sweetpotato breeding program is key for EMBRAPA, Angola and Lesotho.

From Brasilia, delegates visited EMBRAPA Cassava and Fruits in Cruz das Almas, Bahia, the main research center on tuber and roots and fruits. In this center, discussions included cassava breeding programs, visits to tissue culture laboratory, food science laboratory, and cassava gene bank with over 1600 varieties. Delegates also visited a small-scale agro-processing company which is producing cassava processed products in Cruz das Almas. It is worth noting that, besides breeding, EMBRAPA holds a strong portfolio in promoting different cassava products such as chips, fries, juice, cakes, cookies, and many others.

The technical exchange visit concluded with a wrap session in which some key collaboration areas and approaches were highlighted. It was also agreed that further bilateral discussions will continue virtually to narrow down to specific needs of each country. APPSA is a six-year World Bank funded initiative currently being implemented by Angola and Lesotho with regional coordination by CCARDESA.

Delegates had an opportunity to visit a small scale cassava agro-processing company in Cruz das Almas, Bahia.