Back-to-station report on USAID Peanut CRSP Project visit to University of Georgia, U. S. A.

Abstract

As part of orientation and future project activity planning for the newly appointed leader of the USAID Peanut CRSP Project in CSIR-FRI, Ghana, the University of Georgia-Global Peanut Project, Processing and Marketing Team (UGA-GP3M) in Georgia, USA invited me, Mr. Gregory A. Komlaga, to spend few days in USA in order to review and plan project activities as well as discuss associated budgets. The visit also offered me the opportunity to participate in the 3-day Georgia Peanut Tour 2012 which offered me the exposure to the peanut industry in the USA, particularly in Georgia. I left Ghana on September 15, 2012 and arrived in Atlanta, Georgia on September 16, 2012. I was met on arrival by a representative of the UGA-GP3M team in Atlanta airport and I lodged in Best Western Hotel in Griffin, Georgia from September 16 to 17, 2012. Work started on the 17th of September but I had to travel to Albany, Georgia where the Georgia Peanut Tour 2012 took place. I left Griffin on September 18, 2012 morning for the Georgia Peanut Tour 2012 in the company of Eftila Tanellari, a representative of the UGA-GP3M team. The peanut tour programme started at 3pm on September 18,2012 with what was termed "Hot Topics" seminar. The tour continued on the 19th with visits to commercial farms, National Peanut Research Laboratory and Peanut processing industries. The tour ended on September 20, 2012 with visits to University of Georgia irrigation research fields and peanut processing factories. I returned to Griffin, Georgia on the 20th of September, 2012 after the Tour in Albany. Final discussions on the Peanut CRSP project activities were held with the UGAGP3M team on September 20, 2012. The rest of the period (September 22 to 27) was used for sightseeing in the USA. I departed USA on 29th of September 2012 and arrived in Accra on 30th of September 2012