The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on Thursday presented three Toyota Hilux pickup vehicles and 41 desktop computers to the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) at Tamale in the Northern Region of Ghana.
The vehicles and office equipment were donated to improve the effectiveness of SARI's agricultural research efforts in northern Ghana and to ensure smallholder farmers' access to quality seeds and technologies.
A press release from the U.S. Embassy in Accra copied to the Ghana News Agency said United States Ambassador, Robert P. Jackson, handed over the vehicles and office equipment on behalf of the U.S. government.
"The vehicles will give SARI additional mobility to reach even more communities in the north, and the new equipment will strengthen their ability to conduct quality agricultural research," stated Ambassador Jackson at the handover.
"We are fully committed to working with SARI to drive long-term economic growth in the region", he added.
According to the release, Dr. Stephen Nutsugah, the Director of CSIR-SARI, accepted the donation on behalf of the Institute.
SARI is one of 13 institutes of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Institute (CSIR), located in the Tolon District of the Northern Region of Ghana.
The release indicated that the donation of vehicles and equipment was made possible by Feed the Future, the U.S. government's hunger and food security initiative.
Feed the Future aims to improve agricultural productivity in maize, rice, and soybeans in Ghana, as well as to boost the incomes of smallholder farmers in rural areas. Feed the Future supports SARI as it strives to bring impactful technologies like higher yielding seed varieties to farmers in Northern Ghana.
For 55 years, USAID has supported Ghana in increasing food security, improving basic health care, enhancing access to education, and strengthening local governance to benefit all Ghanaian people.