[REGIONAL SEED AND PLANTING MATERIAL NETWORK][WASNET GOVERNANCE][CONTACTS OF WASNET MEMBERSHIP INSTITUTIONS][WASDU]

REGIONAL SEED AND PLANTING MATERIAL NETWORK

The West Africa Seed and Planting Material Network (WASNET) was launched in October 1999 in Ghana by eight (8) countries and private seed enterprises representatives from West Africa.

WASNET development objective is to establish a system to secure food and feed production. This will be achieved through strengthening public and private, formal and informal seed and planting material programs and, thereby, increasing the availability and the use of improved seed and planting material in West Africa.

In order to maximize efficiency in the use of resources and to ensure adequate seed and planting material supply, WASNET has the following immediate objectives:

• To promote cooperation, exchange and sharing of information among member countries;
• To improve uniformity of seed sector development, in member countries;
• To standardize seed production, marketing and quality control in member countries
• To promote regional seed trade and use of quality seed and planting material in member countries.

In the third phase (10.2001 to 09.2006) of the Seed Project emphasis is given to WASNET which is implemented and co-coordinated by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) under the umbrella of the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD). In the Strategic plan the Development goal of WASNET was identified during a participatory planning workshop and was defined as follows " The use of improved seeds and planting material by farmers in West Africa is increased", while the immediate o bjective of the network was defined as " A regional network for the promotion of improved seeds and planting material is sustainably operational".