Cotonou, Benin
June 18, 2008
In response to the current soaring
rice prices, an Emergency Rice Initiative for Africa has just
been launched to provide urgent assistance to rice-growing
countries in the continent in four major areas: seed;
fertilizer; best-bet technologies; and post-harvest and
marketing.
Launched jointly by the Africa
Rice Center (WARDA), Food and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations (FAO), IFDC, Catholic Relief Services (CRS)
and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the
Emergency Rice Initiative will operate under the framework of
the FAO Soaring Food Prices Initiative.
“Our primary aim is to enhance the capacity of our member
countries to significantly increase their rice production as of
2008 and 2009,” said Dr Papa Abdoulaye Seck, Director General of
the Africa Rice Center, an association of African member
countries and one of the 15 centers supported by the
Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
(CGIAR).
Initially, 11 countries have been selected for the Emergency
Rice Initiative: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire,
Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and
Togo. It is expected that more countries will be brought in,
depending on the funding availability.
The immediate priority for the Initiative is to kick-start rice
seed production during the current rainy season and the
following off-season, so that sufficient quantities of seed of
improved rice varieties for major ecologies are available for
sowing in 2009 in the selected countries.
To draw up concrete national action plans, a workshop was held,
9-12 June, at the Africa Rice Center in Cotonou, Benin.
Participants included representatives from the selected
countries and from the Africa Rice Center, FAO, IFDC, CRS, IFAD,
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), African
Development Bank (AfDB), Sasakawa-Global 2000 (SG 2000),
farmers’ organization (ROPPA), United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA), Banque ouest africaine pour le développement
(BOAD) and Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).
Participants analyzed the potential to produce additional rice
per selected country, including the identification of targeted
ecologies, number of farmers, and anticipated production gains
per major region.
They also explored sustainable mechanisms for seed production
and distribution as well as for mineral fertilizer procurement
and distribution. The Initiative will build on the successful
experiences of CRS and IFDC in the use of voucher system to
distribute seed and fertilizer to farmers.
The Africa Rice Center – in collaboration with IRRI, FAO and
other development partners, such as CRS and SG 2000 – was asked
to play a key role in enhancing Africa’s rice research for
development capacity and in facilitating access to rice
information and knowledge so as to ensure that all the
investments and efforts put into the Initiative can lead to
sustainable rice sectors in the selected countries.
The workshop highlighted that in order to achieve sustainable
increases in rice production, greater importance should be given
to the value chain approach to develop the competitiveness and
the market desirability of rice production in Africa.
The Emergency Rice Initiative has been designed to be
country-driven and the national action plans will be finalized
in the countries. “We are very happy that representatives of the
donor community who are present expressed their willingness to
support the implementation of the action plans,” said Mr Jean
Prosper Koyo, FAO representative in Benin.
Participants welcomed the strong commitment of all
international, regional and national partners to the Initiative
and appealed for sustained support to African agriculture. |
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