Rice Harvest in Africa Reaches Record High, Thanks to Nerica

Rice production in Africa has gone up for the 6th consecutive year, according to the Food and Agriculture Rice Market Monitor. Substantial production increases were reported in Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo. A large part of this development is attributed to the adoption of NERICA rice varieties developed by the Africa Rice Center (WARDA). Other countries have followed suit. In Uganda, NERICA varieties will be grown by refugee families from war-torn countries in Africa as a source of income. 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.

For more information, contact R. Raman at r.raman@cgiar.org.