The "Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa" (ASARECA) is a not-for-profit, non political organisation of the national agricultural system (NARS) of the ten countries in the Eastern and Central African (ECA) region:- Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. ASARECA together with similar organisations in Africa (i.e., SACCAR for Southern Africa and CORAF for Western Africa), are the main sub-regional organisations for agricultural research on the continent and they are members of the Forum for Agricultural in Africa (FARA) and the Global Forum for Agricultural Research (GFAR). The main objective of ASARECA is to enhance agricultural productivity in the ECA region through regional collaboration in agricultural research.

ASARECA undertakes its activities through a number of collaborative regional agricultural research networks and programmes. These include 10 commodity and factor based regional networks and programmes currently operating including, among others, for: cassava, beans, agroforestry, potatoes, maize and wheat, livestock, natural resources management, agricultural policy analysis, technology transfer and electronic connectivity. New networks under planning or about to be started include those for sorghum and millet, rice, postharvest processing, agricultural information and documentation; coffee and soil and water management.

The activities of ASARECA are superintended by its' Committee of Directors (CD), made up of the Directors of the National Research Institutes / Organisations from the 10 member countries, and co-ordinated by a Secretariat, headed by an Executive Secretary, located in Entebbe, Uganda.

The collaborative research projects of the regional networks / programmes are undertaken by scientists of the NARS with, in many cases, technical backstopping from scientists of the International Agricultural Research Centres (IARCs) as well as in some cases, support from Advanced Research Institutes (ARIs). Funding for the regional networks / programme activities comes from a multiplicity of sources including national governments, donor agencies as well as core support from IARCs and ARIs.

For more information about ASARECA contact: The Executive Secretary, ASARECA; Plot 5, Mpigi Road, P.O. Box 765, Entebbe, Uganda. Phone No 256-41-320212/320556. Fax 256-41-321126, email asareca@imul.com.

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