Background
The Centre was established in 1989 as a 20-year project, initially funded by Nordic donors and, later supplemented with SADC member country contributions on an increasing scale - until the end of the project in 2011when Member States started to fully fund SADC Plant Genetic Resources Centre (SPGRC).
Located about 25 Km off Great East Road in Lusaka on an 86 ha land, generously provided by the Government of Zambia on a 99-year lease, the Centre has been entrusted and mandated with the conservation and evaluation, for sustainable utilization, of regional plant genetic resources for the present and future generations thus contributing to food security and improved livelihoods; and coordination of all activities through a network of National Plant Genetic Resources Centres (NPGRCs).
Achievements and Challenges
Though challenged by lack of adequate funding, low germplasm utilization and domestication of the ITPGRFA, outstanding construction of the biotechnology facility at SPGRC; the Centre has trained staff up to PhD level, collected over 45,000 germplasm samples from the region, implemented several projects in developing policies, strategies, provided equipment o NPGRCs, among other achievements.
