The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has inducted Prof. Maxwell Darko Asante as the new Director of the CSIR-Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI), effective February 1, 2025.
Prof. Asante, a renowned research scientist with over two decades of experience in agricultural research and development, succeeds the late Prof. Moses Brandford Mochiah. His expertise lies in plant breeding, particularly in developing climate-resilient rice varieties.
As the Rice Breeding Lead at CSIR-CRI, Prof. Asante has developed and released over 20 climate-resilient rice varieties, widely adopted by farmers across Ghana. His research focuses on developing high-yielding, climate-smart rice varieties using conventional, DNA marker-assisted, and biotechnology approaches.
In his acceptance speech, Prof. Asante noted that his appointment comes at a critical time when Ghana’s agricultural sector faces challenges like climate change, soil degradation, and post-harvest losses. He pledged to lead CSIR-CRI in developing innovative solutions to these issues, leveraging his expertise and collaborations with local and international partners.
Prof. Asante holds academic affiliations with the CSIR College of Science and Technology, the Pan African University Life and Earth Sciences Institute, and the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement. He has received numerous accolades, including the National Best Agricultural Scientist award in 2018.
Dr. Ernest Baafi, Acting Director of CSIR-CRI, commended Prof. Asante’s impressive track record and expressed confidence in his leadership, saying, “We are excited to leverage his expertise to drive innovation, foster collaborations, and advance our research agenda.”
With Prof. Asante at the helm, CSIR-CRI is poised to continue thriving, pushing the boundaries of knowledge, and making meaningful impacts on agricultural development and business.