CSIR-Food Research Institute: annual report 2001

Abstract

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research of which the Food Research Institute is one of the affiliate institutes is striving to become a Centre of Excellence in R&D by generating appropriate technologies that are responsive to demands of the Private Sector and socio-economic development. The mission of Corporate CS[R is to generate and apply innovative technologies, which efficiently and effectively exploit S&T for socio-economic development in critical areas of agriculture, industry, health and the environment and improve scientific culture of the civil society. Technologies developed will be comrnercialised for Private Sector Development in Ghana and abroad. The Food Research Institute'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 the 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. In line with its mandate, the main programmes of the Institute during the year were centred on R&D activities for the solution of postharvest problems. Most of the research activities were ongoing projects with a sizable percentage being linked to PhD programmes. Most of the projects were donor funded and almost all the projects were on schedule. The FRI was charge with the responsibility of coordinating the agro-processing aspect of the Agricultural Sub-Sector Improvement Project. Nine projects were approved under the agro-processing programme. Activities aimed at getting microbiology, mycotoxin and chemistry laboratories of the Institute accredited under ISO 17025 Quality System continued with the appointment of a Quality Manager. The Business Development and Information Division was renamed the Commercialisation and Information Division (CID) to reflect the Division's proper role and functions. The Commercialisation process of the Institute continued and the following areas were the major sources of income are Consultancies, Collaborative Research, Equipment fabrication & Hire of Facilities, Sale of Research By-Products, Technical and Analytical Services and Training. The year under review saw Training Programmes becoming an important source of income. However Analytical and Technical services was still the major source of income. The percentage of Internally Generated Fund (IGF) as percentage of subvention was 4.4%. Although Collaborative Research does not directly contribute to the calculated IGF it was the mainstay of the Institute and was 45.96% of subvention. The year under review saw the appointment of Dr. Wisdom Annorsey Plahar as the Director of the Institute. The total staff strength at the end of the year stood at 174. Several promotions were announced for all categories of staff. Ten research grade staff were employed to various positions. The Institute played host to a number of high level visitors: They include Professor D. K Fobih, Minister of Environment Science and Technology; Dr. Andrew Graffham, Mr. Keith Tomlins, Tony Swetton, Lynda Hammonds, Chris Collision all of the NRI, UK. Dr. Peter Moller of KVL, Klotoe Agossou, Fred Kruit and Savi Adolphe all ofPTAAIINRAB, Benin among several others