AfricaRice : A clarion call for greater investment in Africa's rice sector

The 3rd Africa Rice Congress, held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, 21 to 24 October 2013, issued a clarion call to increase investments in Africa's rice sector as well as in rice-related research, extension and capacity building so that the continent can realize its rice promise. The Congress declaration emphasized among others the need to invest in the modernization and mechanization of Africa's rice industry and aggregation of farm output, while safeguarding land rights of smallholders and improving livelihoods. It also called for the establishment of a world-class research infrastructure in Africa for rice genetic evaluation and the strengthening of the rice hub network to achieve greater and faster impact across the rice value chain. More than 650 participants attended the Congress from 60 countries --including 35 African countries. They comprised rice farmers, seed producers, rice processors, input dealers, agricultural machinery manufacturers and representatives from agricultural ministries, national and international rice research and extension communities, non-governmental organizations, donors and other development partners. For more, watch this video. Video by : R.Raman, AfricaRice, Savitri Mohapatra, AfricaRice