The Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. D. D. Kuupole, has received two officials from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to evaluate the Monitoring Evaluation & Technical Support Services (METTS) project.

It was the first visit of high ranked officials from USDA to Ghana. The officials expressed appreciation to UCC for the commitment it had exhibited in the partnership.

Madam Pauline Simons, of the Foreign Agricultural Services, USDA, noted that the partnership was the first of its kind between USDA and a university outside the United States. Due to the success of the project, USDA expressed interest in strengthening and expanding the project.  She indicated that the expertise of UCC faculty would be tapped in the implementation of “USDA Feed the Future Projects” across Ghana especially, the three Northern Regions.

The officials encouraged UCC to provide proposals on gaps and interventions USDA could implement to the benefit of Ghanaian farmers such as soil fertility, climate change, and natural resources. Finally, the UCC partnership, according to the visitors was being studied by USDA for duplication in other developing countries.

In response, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, assured the officials that UCC would continue to deepen the supply of ideas and expertise to the USDA projects in Ghana. He urged the School of Agriculture especially, the Department of Agricultural Extension and Economics to fully participate in the project. He expressed the hope that the Technology Village at UCC would benefit from the METTS project in the nearest future.

Present at the meeting was the Registrar, Dr. Isaac Ohene and the Coordinator of METTS Project, UCC, Mr. Samuel Kofi Manu