Staff of SARI demands professional allowance

Nyankpala (N/R), Oct. 12, GNA - The staff of the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), has appealed to the Government to address their poor conditions of service. They are therefore requesting for professional allowances as it pertains in the universities to avoid the high attrition rate among the scientists.

The workers expressed their grievances to Professor Eugene H. Amonoo-Neizer, Chairman of the CSIR at Nyankpala during his two-day official visit to the Institute.

The Chairman's tour took him to the various experimental fields of the Institute where soyabean, rice, sorghum, mango, cowpea and maize are being experimented to enhance production. Prof Amonoo-Neizer lauded the great works of the researchers and encouraged farmers to embrace the findings to increase production. He urged the scientists to offer their best despite their poor working conditions.

Prof Amonoo-Neizer assured them that efforts are being made to address their grievances.

Dr Matthias Fosu, Senior Research Scientist of SARI spoke about the efficacy of the rizhobium bacteria, which he said is a preferred and cheaper substitute to chemical fertiliser. He said the bacteria integrates soil fertility management for leguminous crops.

Dr Fosu said a pack of rizhobium costs just GH?4.00 and could treat one acre of farm land unlike fertiliser, which attracts GH?85.00 to achieve the same results. He said the product imported from the UK is available at SARI for sale to farmers.

He said plans are advanced to produce the bacteria locally next year, adding that about 2,000 farmers have started using it, leading to good results.

Dr Stephen Nutsugah, Director of SARI said the Institute was set up in 1980 with financial and technical support from German Agency for Technical Co-operation.

He said the Institute had over the years undertaken numerous research studies that had led to the discovery of a number of rice, soyabean and other crop varieties that had improved agriculture in the Northern part of the country.

Dr Nutsugah said agricultural productivity had been low and stagnated due to limited use of inputs such as fertilisers and improved seeds, rapid decline in soil fertility and erratic rainfall. He said the research areas of SARI included crop improvement, soil fertility management, cropping systems, crop protection and post harvest and socio-economic management. 12 Oct. 11