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Agricultural research spending in Sierra Leone grew only modestly during 2008–2011, sharply contrasting very high growth during 2001–2008, at which time the main agricultural research centers, NARC and RARC (consolidated under SLARI in 2008) were being rehabilitated.

Despite significant growth over time, Sierra Leone’s agricultural R&D spending remains well below the levels required to sustain its needs; spending levels as a share of AgGDP are among the lowest in Africa.

Compared with many other countries in West Africa, crop and livestock research play a relatively minor role in Mauritania given its arid climate. IMROP, which focuses on fisheries research, is the country’s largest agricultural R&D agency, accounting for close to two-thirds of Mauritania’s agricultural R&D spending in 2011.

Total agricultural R&D spending fluctuated considerably during 2001–2011. The 2013 renewal of the fisheries treaty between Mauritania and the EU is expected to have a positive impact on spending levels in the near future.

Despite the fact that Jordan’s agricultural R&D spending increased by nearly 40 percent during 2000– 2012, spending has not kept pace with rapid growth in agricultural GDP. As a result, the country’s agricultural research intensity ratio nearly halved during this period.

In 2007, Jordan’s main agricultural research agency at that time (NCARTT) was merged with the country’s agricultural extension department to form NCARE. The new center’s expanded mandate put a considerable strain on its scarce resources, including vehicles and equipment.

Although Algeria’s spending on agricultural R&D rose substantially between 2009 and 2012 (largely in response to retroactive salary increases), investment levels still fall short of international targets and are low relative to neighboring countries.

The Algerian government is the principal source of funding of agricultural R&D. Only minimal additional resources are generated from donors and development bank loans or through the sale of goods and services.

Chad’s government is highly committed to funding agricultural R&D, such that the country’s research intensity ratio is close to the 1-percent target recommended by NEPAD and the United Nations. Unlike most West and Central African countries, donor funding is negligible.

The number of researchers employed at ITRAD, the main agricultural research agency in the country, increased rapidly in recent years, although this growth was largely among researchers qualified to the MSc- and BS-degree levels.