On April 11, 2025 (Friday), Dr. Amit Roy, Chair of the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), along with President SUZUKI Shuichi, former President KITANAKA Makoto, and other representatives, visited JIRCAS.

SAA and JIRCAS signed a comprehensive memorandum of understanding (MOU) in May 2023 regarding agricultural research and extension in Africa. Since then, they have been closely collaborating on agricultural development in the region.

During the visit, Dr. Roy and Mr. Suzuki expressed their deep appreciation for the collaboration between SAA and JIRCAS, emphasizing its significance. In response, JIRCAS President KOYAMA Osamu reaffirmed the importance of the partnership and expressed his intention to continue working closely with SAA in the future.

Following this, Dr. Papa Saliou Sarr, Senior Researcher and Project Leader at JIRCAS, presented the progress and future direction of the joint project titled “Technology Establishment for Regional-adapted Regenerative Agriculture in Africa (TERRA Africa)." The discussion focused on strategies for the project's future development and strategic direction.

JIRCAS will continue its collaboration with SAA to support small-scale farmers in Africa by advancing agricultural technology development and ensuring efficient implementation of these technologies.