WARDA: Rice Crisis May Help African Countries Improve their Economies

The global food crisis that sent rice prices spiraling to as high as $1000 per ton in 2008 presents an opportunity for African countries to improve their economies, according to Marco Wopereis, Director General of the Africa Rice Center (WARDA). Speaking at the annual meeting on Stress-Tolerant Rice for poor farmers in Africa and South Asia (STRASA), Wopereis said that the food crisis has actually made rice farming more profitable for farmers. But he warned that although the prices subsided, the threats still remain.

Sub-Saharan Africa still depends on rice imports from Asia. It is estimated that the region spends around US $2 billion annually on rice imports. But rice-producing countries in Asia have their own problems to deal with. India, Vietnam and Thailand, for instance, have to cope up with the negative effects of global climate change, particularly drought. "It therefore means that supply from Asia in the future may not be guaranteed," Wopereis said as he called on African nations to take action in order to become self-sufficient in rice production.

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