CSIR-Food Research Institute: annual report 2000

Abstract

The Food Research Institute (FRI) is one of the 13 institutes of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). FRI`s vision is to be recognised nationally and internationally as an S & T institution that is playing a key role in the transformation of the food processing industry to be internationally competitive with particular reference to product safety, quality and presentation. The FRI`s mission is primarily, to conduct market oriented applied research and provides technical services and products profitably to private sector and other stakeholders. The overall goal of the Institute is to assist in poverty alleviation through the creation of opportunities for generating and increasing incomes within the micro, small, medium and large scale food industry, contribute to food security, foreign exchange earnings and the application of cost-effective food processing technologies that are environmentally friendly. A year after the completion of the National Agricultural Research Project (NARP), most of the projects carried out were donor-assisted projects. Some of these are the Capability Building for Research into Traditional Fermented Food Processing in West Africa. Improving the Utilization and Commercialisation of Soy Processing Technologies and Farmer Participatory Testing Technologies to increase Sorghum Production in the Sahel. Among the new projects were those by the Department for International Development (DFID) and Natural Resources Institute (NRI) of the United Kingdom which includes, inter alia "Marketing and Processing of Bambara Groundnuts (W. Africa) and "Enhancing the Livelihoods of the Urban Poor through Improvements of Street-vended foods". During the year many of the scientific staff continued on the PhD programmes and other graduate programmes whilst others returned to post after completing. Many senior and other support staff also pursued their training programmes. The year under review saw the institute organising several extension and training services, workshops and conferences. Among these were awareness programmes in the utilisation of cassava and cassava products, processing of pepper and ginger for local food exporters, a weorkshop of major stakeholders in the the street food sector, and a training programme in mushroom cultivation. Some scientific staff attended several conferences, courses, seminars and workshops. The commercialisation programme in line with the Private Sector Development Project was vigorously pursued. The implementation of PSDP ended in June 2000. The Business Development and Information Division which coordinated the income generation activities of the institute, reported a gross income of about ¢203,836,612.00 from various commercial activities and a total expenditure of about ¢150,341,791.70, giving a net income of ¢53,494,820.30. In 1999, of a gross income of ¢116,508,125.00 that was generated net income came to about ¢58 million. During the year, the Institute received a Chinese delegation led by Professor Han Degian, Deputy Minister of S & T. Among the Institute`s visitors were Professor M. Jakobsen of the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University of Denmark, Mr. Moses Mengu of the World Association of International Research Organisation (WAITRO), Drs, R. Myhan, P. Greenhalg, A. Grafftam, Mr. Keith Tomlins and Ms. Lynda Hammond from the NRI of the the University of Greenwich. Also among the visitors was Professor W. S. Alhassan (Director-General of the CSIR