Cotonou, Benin
May 3, 2007
According to the latest figures
from the
FAO Rice Market Monitor, the paddy production in Africa has
gone up for the 6th consecutive year, reaching 21.6 million
tonnes in 2006 — 6% above 2005 — and NERICA has been identified
as a major factor in this growth.
Attributing the record harvest to favorable weather conditions
and “the positive effects of the adoption of NERICA rice
varieties,” the FAO Monitor adds that substantial production
increases were reported in Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Guinea,
Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo.
It goes on to state that “gains were spectacular in Burkina
Faso, where production rose by 102% to 189,175 tonnes.
Production also rose extensively in Mali, which harvested over 1
million tonnes in 2006, up from 946, 000 tonnes in 2005, as
excellent growing conditions boosted yields.”
“We do not think that it is just a coincidence that Burkina Faso
and Mali have had these spectacular successes. They were the
first countries to evaluate and release the lowland NERICA
varieties developed recently by the
Africa Rice Center (WARDA) in
close association with national programs,” said Dr Papa
Abdoulaye Seck, WARDA Director General.
Describing the recent surge in demand for NERICA seed in
Nigeria, Dr Seck said that WARDA has been informed that the
country was able to reduce its rice imports in 2005 by over
800,000 tonnes, thanks to the strong measures taken by the
Nigerian Government to increase domestic rice production and
decrease rice imports. Nigeria is the largest importer of rice
in the world.
West Africa is not the only region where NERICA is performing
spectacularly. The varieties have leapfrogged from Guinea to
Uganda in Eastern Africa, where they are blazing a new trail of
success.
WARDA has just been informed by the Uganda Agricultural
Productivity Enhancement Program (APEP), supported by the USAID
that more than 16,000 refugee families from the Democratic
Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi residing in Uganda are set
to grow NERICA. This initiative is being supported by APEP-USAID
and the Ugandan government to address the food security problem
and raise incomes from their produce.
In addition, 750 Ugandan farmers, who were displaced by the
civil conflicts, have been trained in NERICA production as part
of a training-of-trainers program with support from APEP-USAID.
Also in Uganda, Japan and FAO have launched a US$ 1 million
project to promote NERICA for which WARDA is providing the
technical support.
“NERICA is also being increasingly used in agricultural
rehabilitation efforts in post-conflict countries, such as
Sierra Leone, Liberia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda,”
said Dr Seck, explaining that the African Rice Initiative (ARI),
managed by WARDA, is frequently approached for NERICA seeds to
assist in such efforts.
“We are, therefore, exploring with all our partners a
sustainable strategy to address the ever-increasing demand for
NERICA seeds across sub-Saharan Africa,” Dr Seck added. |
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