CSIR-Food Research Institute: annual report 2009

Abstract

Food Research Institute (FRI) is one of the 13 Institutes of Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The goal of the Institute is to assist in poverty alleviation through 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 environ mentally friendly. The Institute's main objective is to introduce suitable or appropriate technologies to help reduce postharvest losses and also to provide technical support for the development and growth of the local food processing industry. The Institute conducts market-oriented applied research and provide technical services and products to the private sector and other stakeholders and provides scientific and technological support to the growth of the food and agricultural sectors of the national economy. CSIR-FRI continued to be a fulcrum of national development planning in 2009. It provided technical and analytical services to industry as well as research and consultancy services to governmental and international development agencies. The institute generated more funds than it did in 2008. Analytical services for Microbiology and Chemistry for example, increased substantially during the year. The Food Microbiology Division (FMD) undertook 158% more samples than in 2008 for enterprises and companies and did 195% more samples for individuals than in 2008. In money terms, FMD generated a gross of GH¢239,421.50 in 2009 as compared to GHC119,301.70 in 2008. The Mushroom Unit of the FMD recorded an increase in gross revenue from GHC8,794.00 in 2008 to GH¢ll,523.20 in 2009 representing an increase of 131.5%. The Chemistry Division received 569 samples for analyses. This represented a 33% increase over the 428 samples received in 2008. This generated a gross income of forty five thousand, six hundred and nineteen Ghana cedis (GHC45,619.00) as against thirty four thousand and fourteen Ghana (GH¢ 4,714.00) for 2008. This represents an increase of 31.4% over 2008. The Institute faced some serious financial challenges. There was delay of Government subventions to meet commitments under personnel emoluments, administrative, research and investment activities. Government releases were inadequate to meet our projected expenses. A number of publications were made in referred journals including the Critical Reviews in Microbiology, International Food Research Journal, Journal of Human Ecology, Science Direct, Journal of Root Crops, Journal of Food Process Engineering, International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences, International Journal of Consumer Studies, African Journal of Biotechnology, Ghana Journal of Agriculture Science, Journal of Ghana Science Association. There were also number of presentations made at international conferences such as the 2nd African Conference on Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms in March, 2009 as well as some consultancy reports. The Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) contracted the CSIR-FRI as a Technical Training Service Provider to train fifteen farmer-based Organizations in the West Mamprusi and Savelugu-Nanton Districts of the Northern Intervention Zone for under the MiDA Agricultural Project. A number of training workshops for processing of fruits and vegetables were organized in collaboration with the Women in Agriculture Development (WIAD) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), Accra. The Institute received a number of visitors including the Honourable Minister, Miss Sherry Ayittey and her deputy Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, Dr. Abdullai Baba Salifu, Director-General of CSIR also visited the Institute on many occasions