General Director

During the 1980s, the Institute for Agronomic Research (IRA) and the Institute of Animal and Veterinary Research (IRZV) constituted the main organs of the National Agricultural Research System (NARS) in Cameroon. IRA had as mission to elaborate and execute fundamental and applied research programmes as well as on-farm development in all domains of agronomy and forestry in view of improving on the quality of agricultural and forestry production. IRZV was in charge of planning, programming and the carrying out of research activities in order to improve on animal production, fishery and animal biodiversity conservation.

These two institutions put a lot of emphasis on adaptive and applied research that could lead to practical results within short and medium terms. This approach was in line with the defined objectives in the Five Years Plan for Economic, Social and Cultural Development of Cameroon following a ?TOP DOWN? approach.

From 1986, the Cameroon?s agricultural research witnessed serious economic crisis. This was due the heavy research infrastructure in place and the difficult economic situation that the country went through for a decade (1986-1996).

Performance Contracts were signed in 1989/1990 between IRA, IRZ and the Ministry in charge of Scientific Research. Unfortunately, these contracts that defined the strategic objectives geared towards the improvement of efficiency, output and productivity of IRA and IRZ could not be respected due to lack of government subventions.

It is for this reason that in 1990, that the Government of Cameroon with the help of technical and financial partners (World Bank, Investment Centres, FAO etc.) decided to re-structure agricultural research so as to make it more efficient.

Studies on the restructuring of agricultural research resulted in the preparation of long-term (1995) and medium term (1996) plans that were characterised by:

? The reduction of infrastructure and personnel
? The regionalisation of research that brings research results closer to its users, the organisation of forums and scientific programming at the regional level and to carry out equitable research in the various agro-ecological zones of the country and sectors of production.
? A re-enforcement of the relationship that exists between research and development manifested by the presence of a multi-disciplinary team on farming systems in each of the agro-ecological zones serving as an interface between developmental organisations, NGOs and farmer organisations.

These measures taken to restructure the agricultural research system of Cameroon lead to the creation of the Institute for Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD) in 1996 by the merging of the Institute of Agronomic Research and the Institute for Animal and Veterinary Research.

It is now a number of years since the putting in place of the organigramme of the institute. Due to IRAD?s importance and the capital role it has to play within the National Agricultural Research System (NARS), the Central African sub-region and the international scene, it has thus been necessary to create this website to enable the general public and partners to better know IRAD as the veritable tool at the centre of rural development in Cameroon.