Africa Rice Congress 2010

22-26 March 2010. The Africa Rice Congress 2010: had as its main theme: ‘Innovation and partnerships to realize Africa’s rice potential’. The Congress brought together representatives from the public and private sector, civil society organizations, farmer associations and research and extension communities engaged in the development of Africa’s rice sector.

The Congress took stock of advances in rice science and technology aimed at enhancing rice productivity in farmers’ fields, while protecting environmental services and coping with climate change. The Congress also provided an opportunity to discuss institutional innovations, policies and key investments needed to significantly increase rice production in sub-Saharan Africa, develop competitive and equitable rice value chains, reduce imports and enhance regional trade.

The Africa Rice Congress was organized by the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) under the distinguished patronage of the Malian Authorities.

Introductory remarks by Dr Papa Seck, Director General, AfricaRice, Cotonou, Benin


Dr Marco Wopereis (Deputy Director General, Director of Research for Development) of AfricaRice presenting Rice research strategies for Africa at the Africa Rice Congress 2010


Dr Tetsuji Oya, Regional Coordinator (Africa), Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences ( JIRCAS), Africa Liaison Office, Accra, Ghana at the Africa Rice Congress 2010


Dr Achim Dobermann, Deputy Director General for Research, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines at the Africa Rice Congress 2010. Comments about the new role of science with a lot more ownership to all partners and clarify the role of each of the partners involved.


Prof E. Tollens, Centre for agricultural and food economics, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium at the Africa Rice Congress 2010


Mr. Issouf Coulibaly, IER/CRRA, Sikasso programme Riz-Bas fond (one of the stalls from IER at Africa Rice Congress 2010)


Reference:
Life blog of the conference: http://africaricecongress2010.wordpress.com/

Africa Rice Center is no longer WARDA

10 September 2009. COTONOU, BENIN. Recognizing the strategic importance of rice for Africa and the effective geographic expansion of the Africa Rice Center – which was constituted as the West Africa Rice Development Association (WARDA) in 1971 – its Council of Ministers took a historic decision at its just-concluded 27th Ordinary Session in Lomé, Togo, to officially change the Center’s name to “Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice)” and to no longer refer to it as WARDA.

Mr. Kossi Messan Ewovor, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Republic of Togo, chaired the Session.

The pan-African ownership of the Center has increased particularly in the period since 2007 during which six countries from Central, Eastern and Northern Africa joined the Center. As a result, the number of Africa Rice Center member countries went up from 17 in 2006 to 23 in 2009.

The Council urged that the unique model of the Africa Rice Center as a pan-African intergovernmental institution be taken into consideration in the context of the ongoing CGIAR reform process, because it is an important asset for the CGIAR. The Council also called for a “Mega-Program on Rice” in the new CGIAR as rice is the fastest growing food staple in Africa and is an engine of economic growth and political stability that can impact on poverty and hunger.

Why is quality of video productions for farmers so important?

Click to Play

Interview with Josephine Rodgers of Country-wise communications/UK.

She explains:

1. Why quality of video productions for farmers is so important?
2. How video can help extension workers?
3. Which type of training is needed in Africa ;
4. Can agribusiness networks can be used for video dissemination?
5. What are new technologies to watch videos?

Africa’s Rice Production to Double

June 3-4, 2009 Tokyo. AGRA and JICA entered into a long-term pact that builds on the strengths of each organization to reach their ambitious goal.

The pact was formalized at the second General Meeting of the Coalition for African Rice Development (CARD). Mr. Kofi Annan, Chair of the AGRA Board of Directors, attended the signing ceremony, along with Madam Sadako Ogata, President of JICA. Dr. Namanga Ngongi, Agra’s President, and Mr. Kenzo Oshima, Senior Vice President of JICA signed the agreement on behalf of their organizations.

CARD is a consultative group of major donors, rice research organizations and a number of other development entities, which together are working with 21 African countries to strengthen their ability to produce this valuable commodity. Current CARD members include AGRA, FAO, the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), JICA, the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), NEPAD and the Africa Rice Center (WARDA). The main target of the CARD initiative is reflected in the Yokohama Action Plan, which was one of the main documents adopted at the recent TICAD IV (The Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development) held in Yokohama, May 2008.

Since its inception one year ago, CARD has focused on supporting the efforts of 12 countries to develop more effective National Rice Development Strategies. This “first wave” of African rice producing nations includes Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Uganda.

With the support of the CARD Secretariat, which is hosted by AGRA, all 12 counties have produced the first versions of their strategies. During the CARD meeting, Coalition members will discuss how to best support the national plans while refining them through policy dialogues. In the coming year, CARD will work on similar strategies with the “second wave” of rice-producing countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Rwanda, The Gambia and Togo).

Reference:
African Excutive 10/06 Africa’s Rice Production to Double

Book launch of Farmers First Revisited

12th February 2009. Nairobi. FARA participated at the Book launch of Farmers First Revisited.
Speakers:
ACHIM STEINER Executive Director, UNEP
CARLOS SERE Director General, ILRI
And Book Contributors:
JOHN K. MUTUNGA, Chief Executive Officer, KENFAP
JEMIMAH NJUKI, International Center for Tropical Agriculture
LUCY WANGARI MWANGI, General Manager, KENFAP
IAN SCOONES, Fellow, IDS & Future Agricultures Consortium
JOHN THOMPSON, Fellow, IDS & Future Agricultures

Twenty years ago, the Farmer First workshop held at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, UK, launched a movement to encourage farmer participation in agricultural research and development (R&D), responding to farmers’ needs in complex, diverse, risk-prone environments, and promoting sustainable livelihoods and agriculture.
Since that time, methodological, institutional and policy experiments have unfolded around the world. Farmer First Revisited returns to the debates about farmer participation in agricultural R&D and looks to the future.


From this page, you can access the individual papers submitted for discussion at the conference. The papers are organised by the theme and session and listed by author name and paper title.

The paper from Monty P. Jones and Sidi Sanyang* – FARA – Promoting inclusion of civil society organizations (CSOs) in African Agricultural Research and Development was reproduced in the book under the title "The politics of inclusion in African Agricultural Research and Development".

Hereunder are some interviews of book contributors:

Jemima Njuki, researcher CGIAR Zimbabwe, speaks at the FarmerFirst revisited conference (12-14/12/2007) hosted at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex.


Lucy Mwangi, General Manager KENFAB Kenya, speaks at the FarmerFirst conference.


Paul Van Mele of the Africa Rice Center (WARDA) speaks at the FarmerFirst revisited conference


Listen to the Podcast of Dr. Wale Adekunle of FARA : Speech (38mins) during the FarmerFirst revisited conference.


Related blogposts:
Farmer First Revisited 26/01/2009
Farmer Participatory Research and Development Twenty years on 12th December 2007

ROCARIZ - the multi-country rice research network in West and Central Africa – won the Outstanding Partnership Award at the 2008 Annual General Meeting of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), 1-5 December 2008, in Maputo, Mozambique. The award was jointly received by the Chair and present Coordinator of ROCARIZ, which is hosted by the Africa Rice Center (WARDA). The former coordinator is present FARA collaborator Sidi Sanyang.

ROCARIZ was singled out for “its decentralized, issue-driven task force approach” that has enabled it to successfully foster a high level of national involvement in collaborative research to improve rice productivity in both rainfed and irrigated systems in West and Central Africa.

“ROCARIZ has not only strengthened the rice R&D capacity of our national partners, but has also helped the Africa Rice Center attain critical mass in areas where alone it would not be possible,” said Dr Papa Abdoulaye Seck, Director General, Africa Rice Center.

Reference:

ROCARIZ rice network wins outstanding partnership award - SciDev.Net 9 Dec 2008

Background:

The West and Central Africa Rice Research and Development Network – generally referred to by its French acronym ROCARIZ (Reséau Ouest et Centre Africain du riz) – aims to link rice stakeholders in West and Central Africa in order to generate improved and relevant rice technologies, and facilitate their rapid transfer to users by enhancing the capacity of NARES for participatory rice research planning, technology generation, evaluation, and transfer.

ROCARIZ was created in 2000 following the decision taken by WARDA’s National Experts Committee (Committee of National Agricultural Research Institute Directors), WECARD/CORAF, USAID, and WARDA to merge the WARDA Task Forces and the CORAF Rice Network into a unique rice research and development network in West and Central Africa.

ROCARIZ has more than 150 national scientists today from 21 West and Central African countries and international scientists from the Africa Rice Center. It has enhanced resource-use and research efficiencies and facilitated rapid and efficient technology dissemination to end-users. The network has played a central role in the development and distribution of the both upland and lowland NERICA® varieties, which helped achieve a 6 percent increase in African rice production in 2006/07.

CGIAR / FARA Consultation

Dr Monty Jones - Executive Director FARA - and Dr. Kwesi Atta-Krah - Deputy Director General, Bioversity - adressing the participants. Dr. Adewale Adekunle facilitating the meeting

September 2-4, 2008. A CGIAR / FARA Consultation towards Partnerships and Coordinated Implementation of the Pillar IV of CAADP is held in Accra. The goal is to harmonize CGIAR and FARA research initiatives in Africa, with special emphasis on those involving collective action, with a view to strengthen partnerships and links with the overall CAADP and FAAP agendas of Africa.

This consultation is not intended to cover the overall operation of CGIAR and FARA in the continent. The focus is on collective action initiatives requiring strategic partnerships between the CGIAR and FARA, and which have capacity for contributing towards the CAAPD agenda. Specific research agendas of individual CG centres or bilateral research partnerships between particular Centres and FARA are not necessarily covered in this consultation.

Participants form CGIAR:

Dr. Jojo B. Forson, Regional Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, Bioversity International
Dr. Lawrence Narteh, Coordinator WARDA/Regional Plan WCA


Dr. Ponniah Anandajayase, ILRI







Dr. Paula Bramel, Deputy Director General, Research for Development, IITA

Dr. Boubacar Barry, Senior Researcher (IWMI)

Dr. Ravi Prabhu, Coordinator CGIAR Regional Plan for Collective Action in Eastern & Southern Africa



Dr. Kwesi Atta-Krah, Deputy Director General, Bioversity


Dr. Enrica Porcari, Chief Information OfficerLeader, ICT-KM Program, CGIAR-Bioversity

Dr. Robin Buruchara, Coordinator Pan-African Bean Research Institute (PABRA)
Dr. Simon Heck, Senior Policy Adviser, WorldFish Center


Dr. Ola Smith, ICRISAT


Dr. Cyrus Ndiritus, CPWF

Conference on Revitalizing African Agriculture

FARA participated at a two-day conference 25/26 June on revitalizing African agriculture which was held in Tunis with policymakers and agriculture experts from the Bank's regional member countries and representatives of other development agencies in attendance. Held on the theme: "Revitalizing African Agriculture: Its Implication for Addressing the Food Crisis", the conference reviewed partner countries' experiences in addressing the current food crisis.

Representatives from NEPAD, AfDB, CIDA, China Exim Bank, DANIDA, EU, FAO, IFPRI, IFAD, USAID, WB, CIDA, IFAD, WFP, IsDB, IFDC, JICA, WARDA, Nigeria, Cote d’ Ivoire, Gabon, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde, Mauritania, Malawi, Tanzania, Madagascar, Seychelles, Eritrea, Comoros, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria shared information on how various institutions are dealing with the food crisis in the short-term and medium to long term

They discussed the enhancement of donor harmonization particularly the issue of division of labour among donors in support of the agriculture sector in Africa.

Opening the event, the Bank Group's Operations and Sector Vice President, Zeinab El-Bakri, said:

"As we come up with recommendations on how to address the food crisis in Africa, we take cognisance of the fact that besides ineffectual policies that I alluded to earlier; there are other impediments that affect not only agricultural development, but overall economic development. These include factors like climate change with its accompanying drought, floods, pests and diseases; the rising fuel prices; poor governance as well as political and civil strife in some parts of the continent. All these are related to the current food crisis and will continue affecting our decision-making process in the foreseeable future"

Reference:

AllAfrica 25/06 Conference on Revitalizing African Agriculture Opens in Tunis

Press release AfDB 27/06 Conference on Revitalizing African Agriculture Ends in Tunis

Boosting the West Africa region’s rice production

9-12 June 2008, Cotonou - FAO and the Benin-based Africa Rice Center (WARDA) host a workshop to explore ways of significantly boosting the West Africa region’s rice production, to help local farmers benefit from high prices and wean those countries off of international rice imports.

The workshop in Benin is also organized in partnership with the International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development and the non-governmental organization Catholic Relief Services. AGRA is also participating.

ARI cold store in Cotonou, Benin

Related:
Report May 2008, 13 p. African Rice Initiative (ARI) Regional Coordination Unit and the Countries of the Multinational NERICA Rice Diffusion Project.

Cultivating wild fruits 'could boost African nutrition'

Africa's traditional fruits could boost nutrition, environmental stability and economic development if given the right scientific and agricultural support, says a report.

The report, by the National Research Council of America, was released 30 January and is the third in a series by the council called 'Lost Crops of Africa'. A panel of experts from various African countries, with input from ordinary workers, looked at the sustainability of growing a range of indigenous African fruits and the effect it could have on combating malnutrition and poverty in the continent.

Twenty-four fruits were chosen for their potential to contribute to nutrition — particularly for children — and economic development. Among these are aizen, balanites, baobab, butterfruit, ebony, marula and tamarind.

The report advocates not only large-scale farming, but encourages individuals to select their best crops and share them with others for propagation, saying collaboration between amateurs and professional horticulturalist and scientists will be key to success.

Jane Guyer, professor of anthropology at the US-based Johns Hopkins University and a member of the panel for the report, points out that these crops are already valued and used in many parts of Africa.

"These crops were never lost to the people; they have just been lost to the kind of agricultural science that focused mainly on internationally commercialised crops."

References:
Lost Crops of Africa: Volume I: Grains
Lost Crops of Africa: Volume II: Vegetables
Lost Crops of Africa: Volume III: Wild fruits

United Press International - USA Study: African fruit is untapped resource

Listen to a radio interview on the future of Africa's neglected crops:

Download (MP3) Voice of America- Podcast of 28 May 2009

What's the potential for the expanded use of Africa's "lost", or overlooked native crops?

Transcript of the radio podcast:

Professor Adi Damania says research and promotion could help find wider markets for Africa's local cropsOne food expert who’s optimistic is plant geneticist Adi Damania of the Department of Plant Resources of the University of California (at Davis).

He’s encouraged that two international centers for agricultural research are looking into the issue: the West Africa Rice Development Center based in Benin and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics with offices in Malawi, Kenya, Mozambique, Mali and Zimbabwe.

Damania says researchers should not only document the use of the crops, but work to improve their yields, especially in light of warming global temperatures that will likely require all foods growning in Africa to become more drought-resistant.

He says research should also help determine how to keep all produce fresh, including Africa’s localgrains, vegetables and fruits. “A very very large proportion of African grain harvests,” he says,“ is lost due to a lack of proper storage facilities.” He says one solution would be to build concrete warehouses that keep out rodents and insects that devour harvests.
Many native crops are more drought resistant than imported varieties.Damania says governments and international agencies could create an advertising campaign to boost the local sale and even export of Africa’s native crops.

“The best [way],” he says, “would be more publicity through radio and TV programs [and] visits ofhigh-profile people. “Princess Diana’s involvement in getting rid of the landmines and fighting HIV really helped. So, [it would really help] if similar high-profile people will get involved in promoting research onAfrica’s local foods.”

Damania says the continent is rich in resources, traditions, and indigenous knowledge. He says these include native food crops which with the judicious use of funds, can help end Africa’s food insecurity.

Rice and videotapes

Paul Van Mele from the Africa Rice Center (WARDA) recently drew attention to the use of video to communicate science with farmers.

Commenting on a DFID research consultation, he recommended that DFID support "multi-actor communication teams in producing regionally relevant and locally appropriate learning tools/programs."

In an article in the International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, he describes how the 'Zooming-in Zooming-out' approach helps extension service providers create regionally relevant learning materials that are locally appropriate.

For an overview of the videos or click on the following links to view the video on YouTube:

Cashing In with Parboiled Rice
Improving Rice Quality
Spotted Seeds Means Diseased Seeds
Seed Sorting by Flotation
Well Dried Seed is Good Seed
Rice Seed Preservation Technique

To obtain copies of the videos in either mpeg or VCD format please contact: Paul Van Mele.

WARDA and its partners also established links with rural radios to enhance farmer-to-farmer extension. Farmers involved in PLAR or video-supported learning sessions gave testimonies to rural radios. Also, local innovations were turned into radio scripts and hosted on the website of the Developing Country Farm Radio Network. Currently over 300 rural radios in 38 SSA countries receive their quarterly newsletter, including the scripts.

Related:
FAO and YouTube

IRRI video channel on YouTube

ICRISAT video channel on YouTube

Accessing rural information by voice

Recent developments in the Sub-Saharan African rice trends

WARDA has just published an overview of recent developments in the Sub-Saharan African rice trends. The central question is:

Do current rice sector trends favour sub-Saharan Africa food security?
Authors: WARDA (African Rice Center) Publisher: Africa Rice Center (WARDA), Benin, 2007

Among the major cereals, rice is the most rapdily growing food source in Africa. However, the self-sufficiency ratio in rice (production over consumption) has been steadily declining since the 1960s, which means the continent is increasingly relying on the international rice market to satisfy its rice consumption needs.

This paper provides a brief overview of the rice sector situation in sub-Saharan Africa. Focusing on recent trends, the report synthesises the sectors development in terms of production, consumption, imports and self-sufficiency. The author argues that the overall characterisation of the rice sector situation in Sub-Saharan Africa is complex due to the diverse status that rice holds for African consumers, the great diversity of ecosystems under which it is grown, the different rice production technologies used and government policies.

Key points include:

• increasing inter-linkages among global agricultural economies and the net importer status of Sub-Saharan Africa have a strong bearing in the rice sector in the region
• current market developments do not bode well for food security in Sub-Saharan Africa
• global rice consumption has been outstripping global rice production since 2002

Full text of document (8 pages)