Total population of the Eastern and Central Africa region is approximately 250 million people covering an area estimated at 8.0 million square kilometres. About 80% of the population live in the rural areas and derive their livelihood from agriculture; approximately 40% (i.e. 100 million people) live in the dry and sub-humid areas where sorghum and millets are mostly cultivated. Sorghum forms one of the basic staple foods in the region and has been ranked highly as the 3rd, after maize and bean, in the ASARECA Regional Agricultural Research Priorities (Table 1). Sorghum and millets (mainly pearl and finger millets) are consumed in many forms, of which the most important are leavened bread (injera in Eritrea and Ethiopia, kisra in Sudan); thick porridge (ugali in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania), thin porridge (uji), non-alcoholic beverages (hulumur, abrey and huswa in Sudan, obushera in Uganda), and alcoholic beverages (pombe in Tanzania, busaa in Kenya, tela in Ethiopia and Eritrea, ajon and omuramba in Uganda). The crops also have a great potential for industrial production of bread, beer and animal feeds, in the use of crop residues (stover) and for construction.

In eastern and central Africa, sorghum is grown on approximately 10 million ha and millet on over 3 million ha. The crops are mainly cultivated by small-scale resource-poor farmers in the region and yields are generally low. The vast bulk of production is used for food, forming the staple cereal in Sudan and Eritrea, and an important component of the diet in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda. Small quantities are used for animal feed and industrial production. Approximately 60% of sorghum and millets production is consumed at farm level and the remaining 40% is predominantly sold in local markets. Only one country in the region, Sudan, exports sorghum depending upon good weather

The major constraints to increased production and utilisation are generally common to all the countries in the region. Most of the constraints which limit sorghum and millet production and utilisation can be alleviated through technology generation and transfer by the NARS. However, NARS in the region do not have all the necessary finance, trained staff, germplasm and technologies to solve, independently, all priority sorghum and millet production and utilisation constraints. It is therefore essential that the National Agricultural Research and Extension System (NARES) use their limited financial and scientific skills efficiently by sharing research responsibilities and technologies on a regional basis.

FORMATION OF THE NETWORK

At the conclusion of the former network, Eastern Africa Regional Sorghum and Millet network (EARSAM) which run from 1982-1993, the future of a network was discussed by the regional sorghum and millet scientists in Nairobi on 8-9 October 1993. They unanimously agreed that networking should continue and that financial support be sought from the donor community. As a follow-up action to the Nairobi meeting, a workshop was organised in Kampala during 6-9 November 1995 to discuss in depth the revitalisation of a regional network, to formulate an action plan and to discuss strategies for funding. The workshop endorsed the recommendation reached at the Nairobi meeting, and resolved that a regional network be formed. An Interim Co-ordination Committee was appointed to develop a project proposal for submission to ASARECA (Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa) who, after approval, would seek donor funding.

The proposed network was named "Eastern and Central Africa Regional Sorghum and Millets Network (ECARSAM)" and will include all member countries of ASARECA (Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa). The new network (ECARSAM) was proposed to give high priority to technology transfer, exchange and utilisation, thus drawing from and building on the achievements of ECARSAM.

The project proposal for the network was developed and submitted through ASARECA to the European Union (EU) and later approved for funding. Then the network coordinator was recruited from the region and Regional Coordination Unit was established as of 1 October, 2003 after agreements were concluded between the EU, ASARECA and the backstopping institution, ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-arid Tropics). The current EU project Includes eight of the ten ASARECA member countries, namely, Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

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