Rice Today - Special Supplement for AfricaRice Science Week and GRiSP Africa-Forum

Special Supplement for AfricaRice Science Week & GRiSP Science Forum, 24-28 Feb. 2014

His vision and commitment to the goals of AfricaRice have taken it to new heights of excellence and impact

he winds of change that swept across the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) were unmistakable. This occurred from the time

Papa Abdoulaye Seck, a specialist in agricultural strategy and policy analysis from Senegal, was appointed as AfricaRice director general in 2006 until his departure in 2013 to become Senegal's minister of agriculture and rural equipment.

His vision and commitment to the goals of AfricaRice have transformed the Center and have taken it to new heights of excellence and impact.

As an outstanding spokesperson for effective economic policies that

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aim to transform the rice production of African countries, Dr. Seck has enabled several governments to formulate favorable rice policies and make rice more available to the poorest in each country. Thanks to him, AfricaRice has become a catalyst behind the remarkable visibility of the rice sector in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Today, he is highly regarded by many young Africans as a man with a mission to help fulfill Africa's dream of feeding itself and as an epitome of a new breed of leaders who believe in the need to move from theory to practice, and from thinking to action.

Rice Today January-March 2014

n In ci it On joining AfricaRice, Dr. Seck reiterated his strong conviction that Africa would either develop through science and technology or not develop at all.

"One of my cherished dreams has been fulfilled-to be in a strategic position to serve Africa better because this Center is without doubt an invaluable tool to develop a more vigorous African rice sector," he said.

As part of his vision and strategy for a competitive, diversified, and sustainable institute, Dr. Seck put forward the idea of a "total scientist."

He said that the need of the hour for Africa was a "total scientist" who

would not just confine himself or herself to a laboratory or a research station. This scientist would also be able to listen, understand, and tackle the real problems of end-users, develop winning project proposals, generate relevant knowledge and technologies, communicate effectively with partners, anticipate problems, and be ready with options.

"In brief, in today's world, a 'total researcher' must be able to raise funds, obtain reliable scientific results, communicate effectively, and anticipate future research needs," he explained.

He called for a change in attitude of researchers and research administrators when spelling out the key principles of his new visiontransparency, equity, scientific excellence, interdisciplinarity, a systems approach, strengthening of the national agricultural research and extension systems, and openness toward all partners.

Putting rice on the policy agenda o i r I

In 2006 and 2007, Dr. Seck, an experienced agricultural economist, was aware of the significant changes that were happening in the major exporting countries in Asia and that rice prices on the international market were likely to spike considerably.

In his policy communication, Rice Crisis in Africa: myth or reality, to the AfricaRice Council of Ministers in 2007, he warned of a looming rice supply crisis in Africa. He proposed some policy options for turning that crisis into an opportunity by putting the African rice industry on a path of sustainable development, capitalizing on existing science-generated technologies and on the continent's large natural resources.

"Relying much on rice from other countries is a recipe for disaster for Africa," Dr. Seck remarked. "The future of rice farming lies in Africa. Unlike Asia, this continent has great untapped potential-large tracts of land and underused water resources."

In response to the 2007-08 rice crisis, many African countries carried

out policies and projects that helped smallholder farmers gain access to improved technologies through subsidized certified seed, fertilizer, and farm machinery. The flurry of policy activity since the onset of the rice crisis has had a positive impact on rice production in SSA.

A recent analysis by AfricaRice showed that paddy rice production in SSA grew from 3.2% per year before the rice crisis to 8.4% per year after the rice crisis. Moreover, average rice yield jumped by about 30% from 2007 to 2012.

Truly, concerted efforts have succeeded in firmly putting rice on the policy agenda of African countries. AfricaRice's research achievements and policy communication efforts have greatly helped frame the challenges, opportunities, and policy options in order to develop domestic rice production and increase the productivity and profitability of the rice sector.

r n r In ri I

Dr. Seck was a vocal advocate for higher investment in rice research and increased ownership of AfricaRice by African countries. As a result, the pan-African ownership of the Center has increased and several countries from Central, eastern, and northern Africa have joined and increased the member countries from 17 in 2006 to 25 in 2013.

In addition to the geographic expansion, the Center has transformed itself in many other ways. The budget of AfricaRice has


tripled since 2006, which helped substantially increase the number and volume of joint rice projects covering member states.

"He has left behind an exceptionally well-managed, financially sound, and scientifically vibrant organization," the AfricaRice Board of Trustees commended.

Dr. Seck is a solid believer in the power of collaboration. He and Robert Zeigler, director general of the International Rice Research Institute, made history in 2006 by entering into a real partnership for rice research.

"We have to generate knowledge and technology that can have an impact in Africa by pooling together our resources, our intelligence, and our efforts," said Dr. Seck. "Alone, it will be impossible for anyone to carry out an effective research agenda in Africa; together, we can succeed."

This partnership set the stage for the launch of the Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP), the CGIAR Research Program on Rice, in 2010.

n Dr. Seck has received many awards and distinctions, including the Legion d'honneur' - France's highest distinction-but he wears his fame lightly. In Senegal, he is known as Ndanaane, which in Wolof means "a star or an erudite who masters many subjects."

He is justifiably a proud member of the Senegal Academy of Sciences and Technologies, the African Academy of Sciences, and The World Academy of Sciences.

When asked about his top three options for a profession in his youth, Dr. Seck said that his only choice was research.

As he says in his book, Eloge de la recherche: passion et tension d'un chercheur africain (In praise of research: passion and tensions of an African scientist): "Research has remained my passion for almost 30 years."~

Ms. Mohapatra is the head of Marketing and Communications at AfricaRice.

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by Savltrl Mohapatra

The 3rd Africa Rice Congress issued a clarion call to increase investments in Africa's rice sector so that the continent can realize its rice promise

he 3rd Africa Rice Congress, held in Yaounde, Cameroon, in October 2013, emphasized 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. There was also a call to establish a world-class research infrastructure in Africa to identify rice genetic materials for resistance to major biotic and abiotic stresses and to strengthen the rice sector development hub network as well as other rice-related research, extension, and capacity building for greater and faster impact across the rice value chain.

Rice has become more critical to achieving food security and political stability on the continent. Despite rapid growth in rice production in sub-Saharan Africa (8.4% per year) from 2007 to 2012, the African continent continues to rely heavily on the world market to satisfy increasing consumption demand for rice, with imports reaching 12 million tons of milled rice in 2012, costing more than US$5 billion.

Eng ne 0 A rica's growth Themed Rice Science for Food Security through Smallholder and Agribusiness Development in Africa, the Congress was organized by the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Institute of Agricultural Research for Development of Cameroon (IRAD)


under the aegis of the Cameroonian government.

"We recognize the need to scale up our investments for modernizing the rice sector and also increase our support to research and extension," stated Cameroon Prime Minister Philemon Yang, in his opening message that was delivered by Cameroon Minister of Scientific Research and Innovation Dr. Madeleine Tchuinte.

The Congress took stock of advances in rice science and technology and provided opportunities to discuss institutional innovations, policies, partnerships, and investments needed to ensure that rice sector development becomes a veritable engine for smallholder and agribusiness development and economic growth in Africa.

"This will not only contribute to food security, but will also help reduce rice imports and create attractive employment across the rice value chain," said AfricaRice Deputy Director General Marco Wopereis. "Let's not forget that, over the next 15 years, an estimated 330 million young Africans will be looking for a job."

These issues were debated in a Ministerial Policy Dialogueorganized with support from FAOinvolving ministers from Chad, Cameroon, The Gambia, Mali, and Senegal.

Special events Private-sector and research and development partners showcased their work in the Congress

Exhibition, which featured a special section on small-scale rice mechanization. A Cameroon Rice Day allowed participants to visit the IRAD research facilities in Yaounde.

Realizing Africa's Rice Promise, a new book jointly published by AfricaRice and CABI, was also released as part of the special events of the Congress. The book provides a comprehensive overview of Africa's rice sector and ongoing rice research and development activities, indicating priorities for action on how to realize the promise of rice in a sustainable and equitable manner.

A side event focused on a training course in science journalism relating to rice R&D activities in Africa was organized with support from the Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP), the CGIAR Research Program on Rice.

A plaque of appreciation was presented to Cameroon President Paul Biya for the support of the Cameroon government to the rice sector. A distinguished service award was presented to Dr. Papa Abdoulaye Seck, former AfricaRice director general and current minister of agriculture and rural equipment of Senegal.

Promising initiatives and exchanges During the closing ceremony, awards were presented for best papers, best posters, most promising young scientist, and outstanding local entrepreneurs from Africa in seed production and local manufacturing of small-scale machinery.

Immediately after the closure of the Africa Rice Congress, the 2013 Global Forum of GRiSP was held, at which updates on global and African rice initiatives were presented, followed by sessions on Bilateral support for African rice and Coordinating investments in rice development in Africa involving a broad range of investors interested in Africa's rice sector.

"Such exchanges will help us find ways to leverage opportunities and make the most of our resources and knowledge to boost Africa's rice sector," said GRiSP Director Bas Bouman.

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, representatives from agricultural ministries, national and international rice research and extension communities, nongovernment organizations, donors, and other development partners. ,

Ms. Mohapatra is the head of the Marketing and Communications at AfricaRice.

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by Savitri Mohapatra

Cameroon may soon gain fame as a rising star in rice production

he Republic of Cameroon is often described as "Africa in miniature" because of its rich diversity of climate, ecology,

landscape, and culture. Few are aware that the country has huge potentia] to not only achieve rice selfsuffic~ency but also become the rice granary of Central Africa.

The country is endowed with large areas of arable land, abundant water resources, and favorable agroclimatic conditions that are conducive to rice production. Recognizing its agribusiness potential, and in response to the food crisis that severely affected Cameroon in 2008, the government is taking measures to revitalize the rice sector.

These government efforts to improve the country's food security are supported by the World Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the Japan International Cooperation Agency OICA), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Reviving the rice sector Rice is still a relatively new crop in certain areas of Cameroon although the Far North, Northwest, and West provinces have a long tradition of rice cultivation.

Moreover, rice is increasingly becoming an important commodity fueled by shifts in consumer preferences and rapid urbanization. In Tonga, for example, homage is paid yearly to the farmer who introduced rice in the region. Here, local rice is preferred over imported va rieties; when quality concerns are met, consumers are prepa red to pay a premium for local varieties.

With renewed interest in the rice sector in recent years, the

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government is strengthening the country's rural infrastructure such as irrigation, milling and processing facilities, and farmto-market roads.

Governmentowned corporations, such as the Company for the Expansion and Modernization of Rice in Yagoua in Far North province and the Upper Nun Valley Development Authority (UNVDA) in the Northwest province, are being revamped to support rice farmers.

UNVDA, for example, supports about 13,000 rice farmers, facilitating '" their access to improved seeds, fertilizer, herbicide, information, and train ing as well as equipment rental services for farm operations.

The company also provides a market for farmers by buying rice from them. "Thanks to the UNVDA support, I have been able to pay school fees for my children and medical bills from the sale of my rice harvest," remarked Mr. Ako Thea Francis, a rice farmer from Ndop.

Connecting researchers and farmers The Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD) is a public institution that has been collaborating with international partners to develop improved rice varieties and technologies to increase rice productivity in the region. Technology packages developed by IRAD are shared to farmers for faster adoption.

"We mul tiply the foundation seed of improved rice varieties received from IRAD and provide seeds to farmers at subsidized ra tes," said Ms. Li lia n Yacoumbo, UNVDA chief officer.

Rice Today October-December 2013

Highlighting the vital role of research in the revival of the rice sector, lRAD Director General Noe Woin said, "The government recognizes the need to support a strong research and development program to develop improved technologies for smallholder farmers to help them raise their output and income."

Serious constraints But, despite all these efforts, some constraints hinder the country from expanding and intensifying its rice production. These challenges include a lack of good-quality seed and adequate equipment for labor-intensive tasks, and a lack of postharvest technOlogies to make local rice competitive in the market.

The country's rice production has not yet been able to keep pace with the increasing demand. Over the last few years, its rice self-sufficiency ratio has been less than 20%, according to the United States Department of Agriculture and FAO. In 2012, Cameroon produced 102,000 tons of paddy rice and had to import up to 375,000 tons of rice to meet its demand .

Overcoming challenges Another constraint is the long distance between the major rice production facilities and the main cities, which are filled with imported rice rather than "Cameroon-made" rice.

"Thus, JICA has launched a program to support mainly the production of upland rice in the Center, South, and East provinces of Cameroon, so that people living in these areas can eat their own rice," said Dr. Yoshimi Sokei, a JICA advisor based in Yaounde.

The National Rice Development Strategy, drafted in 2009 within the framework of the Coalition for African Rice Development, has an ambitious aim to raise domestic production to 627,250 tons by 201 . To achieve this vision, the Cameroon government has deployed the following strategies.

Building rural enterprlses Some challenges are being tackled th rough collaborative research such as the innovative Common Fund for Commodities (CFC)-funded project on "Improving the competitiveness of

local rice in Central Africa." Carried out by AfricaRice and its national partners from Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and Chad, it aims to build rural enterprises through co-sharing mechanisms.

Upland and lowland NERICA varieties selected through participatory varietal selection were introduced along with improved crop management practices to boost rice productivity. After that, the project established a "rapid-impact" seed program, postharvest

technologies, processing activities, and links with input dealers and microfinance institutions.

"To ensure competitiveness, 'one-stop shop' quality-processing centers, were established to enhance quality along the whole value chain from seed through milling, sorting, and packaging to marketing," said Ms. Dorothy Malaa, IRAD national project coordinator.

The qua lity-processing center in Ndop, which was inaugurated in 2013 by Cameroon's minister of scientific research and innovation, testifies to the success of this model.

Quality rice as well as rice bran and other by-products are sold to both wholesalers and retailers. The production and marketing of rice flour have opened up new opportunities for women farmers who can process and sell rice-based products.

Focus on postharvest technologies Cameroon is one of eight pilot countries that are partnering in a pioneering Canada-funded


project to enhance the quality and marketability of locally produced rice through improved harvest and postharvest technologies.

The project, Which is carried out by AfricaRice with its partners, aims to develop and evaluate suitable harvest and postharvest technologies that help produce quality rice products that respond to market demand.

The project gives households opportunities to raise their income by promoting the development of new rice-based products and rice byproducts. Now, it is exploring the use of rice for producing fortified food items.

"Strengthening the capacity of rice stakeholders throughout the value chain, from farmers through millers and parboilers to marketers, is a major part of the project," said Dr. Jean Moreira, AfricaRice project coord inator.

Looking forward The Cameroon rice sector is increasingly benefiting from collaborative research for development activities carried out by AfricaRice and its partners with support from several donors, including the AfDB, CFC, Canada, the European Union, Japan, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Global Rice Science Partnership, the CGIAR Research Program on Rice.

IRAD is involved in all the Africa-wide Rice Task Forces covering breeding, agronomy, processing and value addition, mechanization, policy, and gender. It has welcomed an approach, rice sector development hubs, for greater coherence and impact and has identified three hubs representing the main rice ecosystems in the country.

With all these measures in place, Cameroon is well on its way to rea lize its vision for a high-quality rice sector serving the entire region.

Ms. Mo/tapatra is the head of Marketing and Communications at AfricaRice.

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UGANDA: bla~ing a trail to rice success by Savitri Mohapatra

Uganda s rice imports decreased and its food security improved because of its growing rice production

Uganda-widely known as lithe pearl of Africa" for its exquisite natural beauty, diverse flora and

fauna, and rich mosaic of culturesis attracting attention today as a potential rice basket for eastern Africa.

Over the last few years, Uganda has been experiencing a remarkable rice boom supported by good farming practices, premium market prices, and favorable policies that have stimulated large private investment in the rice sector.

The growth of Uganda's rice production has contributed to greater food security and a reduction in rice imports. For instance, according to the Ugandan government, rice imports dropped between 2005 and 2008, which helped save the country about US$30 million in foreign exchange earnings.

The area sown to rice nearly doubled from about 80,000 hectares in 2002 to about 150,000 hectares in 2011. Similarly, paddy production jumped from about 120,000 tons in 2002 to more than 220,000 tons in 2011.

liThe rice industry in the country has rapidly moved from improved seed to production to processing and to the markets over the last few years," said Robert Anyang, program officer of Public-Private Partnership

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and Market Access at Sasakawa Global 2000 (SG2000).

This is a feat that several riceproducing countries in sub-Saharan Africa would like to achieve. Yet, 10 years ago, Uganda was barely known as a rice-producing country in the region. So, what triggered the rice transformation?

NERICA fills the void In 2000 and 2001, when the price of maize plunged in the region, Uganda's government and farmers were desperate for an alternative crop that could provide food security and income.

Through the timely assistance provided by SG2000 and the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), short-duration NERICA varieties developed by the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), including NERICA 1, 4, and 10, were identified as a suitable replacement for maize. NERICA 4 was released in 2002 and followed by NERICA 1 and 10.

"In a short time, NERICA 4 became so popular that, by 2008, it occupied almost 70% of the upland area under production," said Dr. Jimmy Lamo, a rice breeder at NARO.

The turning point Gilbert Bukenya, the then vice president of Uganda, identified

Rice Today April-June 2013

upland rice as a major strategic intervention for food security and poverty reduction. Because of Dr. Bukenya's advocacy, President Yoweri Museveni launched the Upland Rice Project in 2004. This is widely acknowledged as the turning point for the growth of Uganda's rice sector.

The campaign encouraged several nongovernment organizations (NGOs) and development partners to join forces with the Ugandan government. These were the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the United Nations Development Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Oxfam, and the United States Agency for International Development, in addition to SG2000.

The government and these partners made major efforts to promote rice and strengthen the capacity of rice farmers, millers, traders, and extension workers.

The rice scheme also motivated private-sector players such as NASECO Seed Company, Grow More Seeds, Pearl Seeds, Victoria Seeds, and FICA Seeds.

"The Upland Rice Project is a success story of public-private partnership, with each partner playing a role from research to final product and commercialization," said Nicolai Rodeyns, managing director of NASECO Seed Company. NASECO

D .... oc' . Ie 1t., .. lIllc o.t tbe (0":&0

was instrumental in the production and dissemination of certified seed of NERICA 4 under the trade name Suparica 2.

The breakthrough However, the real breakthrough for Uganda's rice sector occurred in the mid-2000s when the Ugandan government lobbied successfully for the East African Community to impose a 75% tariff on rice imports (35% for Kenya), according to Mr. Anyang.

"As the Ugandan government didn't have the money to support subsidies, this was a good way to promote its fledgling rice industry and protect farmers from the influx of cheap imported rice," he commented.

The shift in government policy further stimulated rice production in the country and motivated the private sector to invest heavily in the sector. The focus gradually shifted from increasing rice production to improving postharvest handling, value addition, and marketing.

According to Mr. Venugopal Pookat, director of Tilda Uganda Ltd., one of the leading rice-producing companies in the country, locally produced rice can replace imported rice, only if it can be price-competitive, branded with consistent quality, and readily available on the market. Tilda Uganda Ltd. produces different types of rice to fill different market niches.

Similarly, small entrepreneurs have seized the opportunity to add

Uganda

value by developing niche products such as parboiled rice, which is not commonly available in Uganda.

Market integration Public- and private-sector partners in Uganda's rice sector are aware that agricultural intensification goes hand in hand with agricultural sector development and market integration at all levels.

"The activities involved in rice value addition have potential to create wealth for all in the value chain, including farmers, transporters, middlemen, millers, traders, and the economy," explained Mr. Philip Idro, former Ugandan ambassador to China and current director of Upland Rice Millers Ltd. (URM).

The URM rice factory in Jinja, in eastern Uganda, is helping rice farmers to become part of agribusiness networks through which they can sell surplus crops and invest in their farms. For example, rice farmers who bring their paddy to the factory for milling find a ready market as they meet with rice traders at the same place.

"As long as farmers have a market, they always respond positively to that market so production is no longer an issue," explained Ms. Joan Rutaroh, program director of the Uganda Development Trust, a local NGO that provides technical assistance and arranges agribusiness loans for small and medium rice enterprises.

Joyce Lalam Otema, a rice farmer from Gulu, agreed. "With rice, you


can't go wrong," she observed. "Each time you get a good yield, all the rice is sold in 2-3 months. You can either sell it locally or go to the nearest mill."

In addition to a large mill owned by Tilda Uganda Ltd., the country has 15 medium-sized mills and about 850 small mills with polishers and whiteners.

Lowland rice production The boom in Uganda's rice production is also partly due to the resurgence of the Kibimba Rice Scheme. It currently produces about 20,000 tons of rice per year, which is 20% of the total rice produced in the country.

Although rice schemes are huge, they are still small considering Uganda has about 500,000 hectares of land suitable for seasonal lowland rice production. According to the National Rice Development Strategy, Uganda is expected to produce up to 335,000 tons of rice in 2013 and 500,000 tons in 2018. New lowland rice varieties are expected to be released soon by NARO.

"With everything in place, including the right policy and all the actors, the support of rice research partners through the new CGIAR Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP), and with the private sector, we can achieve this goal in the next 5 years," said Mr. Anyang. ,

Ms. Mohapatra is the head of Marketing and Communications at Africa Rice Center.

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It was a proud moment for three PhD students from West Africa participating in the graduation ceremony at the University of

KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. They had just taken a decisive step forward in fulfilling their dream of becoming biotechnology specialists.

Mounirou El-Hassimi Sow of Niger, Honore Kam of Burkina Faso, and Kouadio Nasser Yao of Cote d'Ivoire all had worked in the biotechnology laboratory of the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) in Cotonou, Benin, under the supervision of Marie-Noelle Ndjiondjop. Their sense of pride was shared by Gustave Djedatin from Benin, who successfully defended his PhD thesis in front of an international panel of scientists at the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin.

"These students have each made major contributions to global

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knowledge of rice in Africa," declared Prof. Mark Laing, director, African Centre for Crop Improvement at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. "They are also keen to apply their newly acquired skills in their respective countries."

Their doctoral research was supported through a USAID-funded AfricaRice project on the application of marker-assisted selection (MAS). This aims to find solutions to rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV) infection (see the news report on page 8) and two other devastating rice biotic stresses, African rice gall midge (AfRGM) and bacterial leaf blight (BLB).

As part of their studies, the students traveled thousands of kilometers by motorcycle and boat to interview rice farmers and collect their local varieties. Mounirou, for instance, collected about 270 local rice varieties, many of which face


DR. NDJIONDJOP of AfricaRice, second from left, is helping national partners to use molecular breeding techniques to speed up the process of developing disease- and pest-resistant rice varieties.

extinction. These varieties were then characterized through field trials and DNA profiles for use as parental material in breeding for RYMV resistance.

The making of a work force In rice breeding, the efficiency of MAS to transfer major rice genes is now widely recognized as it offers rice breeders a better opportunity to develop varieties that are resistant to diseases and pests and tolerant of abiotic stresses.

However, many African countries lack adequate local research capacity in this area. In response to a strong demand from its member countries, AfricaRice is progressively helping develop a work force of national

researchers trained to apply molecular biology techniques critical to solving agricultural problems.

For Dr. Ndjiondjop, the overall strategy is to advance Africa toward the concept of "modern breeders" to efficiently exploit this potential for food security in Africa.

"The USAID-sponsored PhD training was the starting point of this strategy, which has contributed to the strengthening of the capacity of the national agricultural research and extension systems (NARES) and has a significant impact on agricultural research in West Africa," said Dr. Ndjiondjop. "For instance, Kam Honore now leads the molecular laboratory established in his home country."

national laboratories to ensure that scientists can apply their newly acquired skills when they return to their countries, Dr. Ndjiondjop and her team have helped purchase equipment and established the first national molecular biology laboratories in four West African countries (Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Guinea, and Mali).

"Trained national staff members need to have these facilities to introduce MAS into their breeding programs and to transfer resistance genes into elite varieties," said Dr. Ndjiondjop. Moreover, national scientists can use these facilities to apply molecular techniques and MAS in many different crops, not just rice.

Dr. Ndjiondjop is the driving force behind molecular biology research at AfricaRice relating resistance to a number of biotic constraints. She and her team have trained more than 60 NARES researchers, including PhD and MSc students from Africa, in molecular breeding.

AfricaRice is actively helping the NARES acquire the necessary skills and equipment

YOUNG AFRICANS, such as Mounirou Sow from Niger, who have been trained in the AfricaRice biotechnology laboratory are dedicated to applying molecular breeding and transferring the technology to other staff members in their respective countries (above). AfricaRice's biotechnology facility in Cotonou, Benin, enables national partners and students to learn on the job or gain hands-on experience in marker-assisted breeding.

AfricaRice is now helping the national programs to run their molecular laboratories, through molecular breeding projects being implemented in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Nigeria, funded by the GCP.

It is also helping its partners to establish new molecular biology laboratories or upgrade the capacity of existing ones in several West

to facilitate breeding involving MAS. Its modern biotechnology facility in Cotonou, Benin, is used for rice breeding and enables national partners and students to learn on the job or gain hands-on experience.

"At AfricaRice, I have not only been trained in molecular breeding and statistical analysis of research data but I was also exposed to the techniques of managing germ plasm and field research experiments," said Mounirou Sow. Thanks to this thorough background, he has been selected for the multiyear training program of CGIAR's Generation Challenge Programme (GCP). He is now involved in sharing his knowledge and skills with his colleagues from various countries.

"The hands-on experience gained by the students through their involvement in collaborative research,

training programs, and technology transfer projects is very valuable," explained Dr. Ndjiondjop.

The trainees also benefit greatly from the partnerships that AfricaRice has developed with advanced research institutions, particularly in France (Institut de recherche pour Ie developpement and Centre de cooperation internationale en recherche agronomique pour Ie developpement) and the United States (Cornell University), and through the GCp, CGIAR sister centers-the International Center for Tropical Agriculture and the International Rice Research Institute-as well as with national programs and universities in Africa.

Adequate infrastructure Realizing the importance of adequate research infrastructure in


African countries involved in USAIDWest and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD) projects.

"We will continue training our national partners in molecular techniques and MAS through a genetic and genomic platform focusing on low-cost, highthroughput genotyping based at AfricaRice," said Dr. Ndjiondjop.

The platform will facilitate the expansion of molecular research activities throughout sub-Saharan Africa for rapid development of new varieties. It will also help update the knowledge of conventional breeders in molecular breeding and help them understand the tools, statistical software, and experimental designs required for effective use of molecular markers. ,

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eminiscing about his early years, Baboucarr Manneh said that his first experience with research was a few

months after high school in 1988. He served as a hatchery assistant in an aquaculture lab where he looked after the development of tiger shrimp larvae.

Dr. Manneh liked this experience so much that he applied for an honors program in marine biology. "But, as fate would have it, I ended up getting a scholarship to study general agriculture and eventually studied plant breeding and biotechnologywith a focus on rice," he said.

Since seafood and rice are especially popular in The Gambiathe smallest country on mainland Africa-it is not surprising that

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Dr. Manneh's research experience encompassed both, albeit at different stages of his career.

A lover of nature and science Born to a farming family in a small village called Sukuta, Dr. Manneh has always been fascinated with the beauty and diversity of nature. Quite aptly, his favorite subjects were biology, chemistry, and agriculture. "It was my desire to apply an understanding of biological processes to improve living systems that drove me to study biotechnology," he said.

His farming roots helped him understand that science is not only a tool to uncover the mysteries of nature but that it also provides a powerful means of helping people and improving their lives. His

Rice Today July-September 2012

profession as an agricultural scientist gave him an opportunity to help farmers through research.

For Dr. Manneh, working with farmers is both enjoyable and humbling. He is most touched when farmers genuinely appreciate the efforts of scientists and extension workers to improve their livelihoods. "They are often willing to offer their last chicken to a visiting agricultural officer," he remarked. "Therefore, no amount of effort is too much when we are trying to assist such appreciative people."

A serious worker After finishing his bachelor of science degree, Dr. Manneh joined the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI)-The Gambia's main

agricultural research institute-first as an assistant research officer in the Agricultural Engineering Unit and then in the Socioeconomics Unit. Part of his work was to help develop and evaluate postharvest equipment for rice and coarse grains and to conduct socioeconomic surveys on the adoption of improved agricultural technologies.

Since Dr. Manneh was keen to continue his studies, he was granted a study leave by NARI to follow a master's program at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, specializing in crop breeding. On his return, he was appointed head of the Cereals Research Program at NARI and became a manager for the Sapu Agricultural Station-the biggest regional agricultural station in the country.

Dr. Manneh was very serious and hard-working and we were sure that he was going to succeed in his career," said Dr. Samuel Bruce-Oliver, who was heading NARI at that time. "We were also impressed with his skills in managing the Sapu station, which hosts more than a hundred research and extension staff with their families as well as other government officials and R&D partners."

Thanks to NARI's help, Dr. Manneh was able to pursue advanced studies on genetic, physiological, and modeling approaches toward salinity tolerance and low-nitrogen supply in rice when he was awarded a PhD sandwich fellowship by Wageningen University in 1998. He conducted his PhD research with awards from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research and the International Foundation for Science.

Rising through the ranks Dr. Manneh continued to be associated with NARI, where he rose to become a director of research and advisor to the Minister of Agriculture on seed and biotechnology issues.

In 2005, he joined the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) as a postdoctoral

fellow in the Biotechnology Unit in Cotonou, Benin, where he worked closely with his team on using marker-assisted selection and conventional breeding approaches to develop drought-tolerant rice.

Drought stress causes substantial crop losses yearly in Africa, and AfricaRice is involved in developing drought-tolerant rice varieties that produce stable yields in rainfed systems in Africa.

The threat of climate change is aggravating the drought problem. "One of the most viable options to enable farmers to adapt to climate change is the use of rice varieties with good drought tolerance," Dr. Manneh said.

After joining the Center as a postdoc, Dr. Manneh has since risen to the post of principal scientist and he is now an irrigated lowland breeder based at the Sahel regional station in Saint Louis, Senegal. Since arriving at the station in 2008, he has helped broaden irrigated lowland breeding activities there to cover breeding for high yield potential and adaptation to environmental stresses such as temperature extremes, salinity, and flooding, using both conventional and molecular breeding approaches.


An advocate for partnership Dr. Manneh is a strong advocate for partnership. "No single research or development institution has the resources to tackle the challenges faced in converting Africa from a net food importer to a net food exporter," he observed. Hence, his unit has established strong collaboration with international agricultural research centers and with local and regional universities to foster research and contribute to building the capacity of Africa's next generation of plant breeders.

In view of his work experience, Dr. Manneh was the natural choice to lead the coordination of the AfricaRice component of the project "Stress-Tolerant Rice for Africa and

South Asia (STRASA)." Launched in 2008, the project focuses on tolerance of five major abiotic stresses-drought, submergence, salinity, iron toxicity, and low temperature.

With funding by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), STRASA involves AfricaRice and the national programs of 18 countries in subSaharan Africa. The project is now in its second phase.

Dr. Takashi Kumashiro, leader of the Genetic Diversity and Improvement Program at AfricaRice, spoke highly of Dr. Manneh's efficient management of this project component, which involves collaboration across continents and time zones. "He has a very sound background in all areas of plant breeding,

including molecular biology." Dr. Manneh is convinced that the

availability of improved rice-based technologies, especially stress-tolerant varieties, would make sub-Saharan Africa's important food and cash crop adaptable to climate change.

"When farmers are certain that the varieties they are planting are capable of tolerating stresses, they will invest more resources, time, and energy into their fields," he said. "This in turn can help increase rice production and ultimately improve farmers' livelihoods." ~

13

ICE Eth iopia's millennium c

by Savitri Mohapatra Rice is now a major livelihood option for farmers in Ethiopia

and an important crop for the country's food security

thiopia, Africa's oldest independent country and the cradle of an ancient civilization, is fast emerging as one of the big

rice-producing countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

"Area rose from 6,000 hectares in 2005 to nearly 222,000 hectares in 2010 and paddy production from 15,460 tons to 887,400 tons," Dr. Tereke Berhe, former regional rice coordinator at Sasakawa Africa Association and current special advisor for rice at the Agriculture Transformation Agency in Ethiopia, said. "At the same time, the number of rice farmers increased from 18,000 to more than 565,000."

III nn c Although rice has just been recently introduced to Ethiopia, recognizing its importance as a food security crop and a source of income and employment opportunities, the government of Ethiopia has named it the "millennium crop," and has ranked it among the priority commodities of the country.

The national rice research and development strategy (NRRDS) for 2010-19 has been prepared to tackle rice-related progress in rice value chain, postharvest, grain quality, and marketing issues.

According to Dr. Berhe, the rice sector in the country saw a phenomenal growth from 2005 to 2010.

u n Ie Until a few years ago, the staple food crops in Ethiopia were maize, wheat, sorghum, and teff-a fine grain unique to the country, which is used for making "il1jera," a traditiona I Ethiopian bread.

Rice started to be recognized in the country because of its good productivity,

14

RICE HAS become a profitable crop for farmers of Fogera District in northwestern Ethiopia.

available labor, and vast areas suitable for both rainfed and irrigated systems.

In Ethiopia, about 30 million hectares are suitable for rice, according to the NRRDS. Vertisols, or black clay soils, are abundant in the country and have a high agricultural potential. But, these are difficult to work with, as they are hard when dry and sticky when wet.

"Earlier, farmers used to abandon the waterlogged vertisols in the Fogera plains-a major rice belt in northwestern Ethiopia-during the rainy season," explained Bayuh Belay Abera, national rice research coordinator at Adet Agricultural Research Center in Bahir Dar.

"But now rice serves as a major livelihood option in this area," said Mr. Abera. "When farmers saw that it grows well under waterlogged conditions, they


have switched to this crop in the rainy season and have become prosperous since then."

Rice has also become popular because it can be used to make many valuable by-products, such as rice husk, rice bran, and beer. It can also partially or fully replace teff in the making of il1jera.

Thanks to active rice R&D activities and with strong support from the Ethiopian government, Sasakawa Global 2000 (SG 2000), and the Japan Internationa I Cooperation Agency (JICA), farmers have access to severa I improved varieties and crop management techniques.

SG 2000 introduced NERICA rice varieties from the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice). In the last few years, NERICA 1 and NERICA 2 have been officially released for both upland and

irrigated ecologies; NERICA 3, NERICA 4, and SUPARICA

1 for upland ecologies; and NERICA 14, NERICA 15, and NERICA 16 for irrigated ecologies.

In addition, various other improved

varieties, such as Shebele (IR688059-76-3-3-3-2), Gode-l (BG-90-2), and Hoden (MTU-1001), have been released for irrigated systems. Among the

traditional varieties, farmers continue to grow "X-jigna,"

which was introduced by the North Koreans for the rainfed lowlands.

However, since much of the arable land in the country is located in mid to high altitudes, cold-tolerant rice varieties are essential for these areas. As part of the IRRI-AfricaRice joint Stress-Tolerant Rice for Africa and South Asia (STRASA) project, researchers are focusing on developing cold-tolerant rice varieties for such regions.

"We have been evaluating varieties for cold tolerance in partnership with the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research and the Amhara Region Agricultural Research Institute," said Dr. Negussie Zenna, an AfricaRice researcher who is closely involved with the STRASA project.

As a result of this work, two cold-

P eduction {tons)

tolerant varieties have been selectedFOFIFA 3737 from the Madagascar national program released in 2010 for the irrigated ecology and WAB 189 from AfricaRice released in 2011 for rainfed lowlands. Through participatory varietal selection, farmers confirmed that both varieties have acceptable grain quality.

"The farmers showed great interest in WAB 189 because of its earliness, high yield, and good biomass," said Tadesse Lakew, rice breeder at Adet Center.

Dr. Lakew is among the new generation of young African rice scientists who are trained through the AfricaRice

1,000,000 r--------------------------., 900,000 f-----------------------__ ----l

800,000 f--------------------------,f-- ----l

700,000 f--------------------------,'--------l

600,000 i------------------f-------1

500,000 f---------------------1I..-- ----,"-- ---1

400,000 f-------------------,.c----+------I

300,000 I--------------:I£:==::::::~f--------j

200,000 f-------------::.f'''----------",_'''''""L----I

100,000 f-------",....c:;.--L---=1t-":=:;...---------1

O ~~~~~~~~--~------I--~ 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

• ~;lU (~ ~ 6.000 18.527 49.956 90,44S 155.686 22 1.892

• F.rmel pallilipants 18,000 53,902 149.868 260,328 285,924 565,442

• FloIIuc:ulllmi 15,400 42,825 122.3()2 185,577 498,332 887,4(l1

Paddy production in Ethiopia, 2005-2010


Breeding Task Force, which has been launched to build the rice breeding capacity of national partners and stimulate the delivery of improved technologies through strong partnership between international and national rice scientists.

Such partnership will be vital to realizing the Ethiopian government's plan to raise paddy production to about 4 million tons in 2019 and increase rice area to 774,000 hectares. '

DR. BAYUH Belay Abera, national rice research coordinator at Adet Agricultural Research Center in Ethiopia, hopes to strengthen R&D partnership with international organizations.

DR. TADESSE Lakew, rice breeder at Adet Agricultural Research Center, shows variety WAB 189, which was released in 2011 for the rainfed lowlands.

15

COUNTRY SNAPSHOT:

ice was introduced in Burundi in 1890, but it did not develop unti I 1968, when the first . riga ted scheme of 2,550

hectares was installed. Traditionally, in Burundi, rice was

eaten only once or twice a year during feasts and festivals. In the 1980s, with the introduction oflocally adapted rice and the distribution of rice in schools and the military by the government, it rapidly became popular. Now, many Burundians eat rice every day.

Burundi has three major riceproducing ecologies: the irrigated areas of the Imbo plain, the rainfed (nonirrigated) areas oflmbo and Moso lowlands, and the nonirrigated areas of the elevated marshland region.

Rice is grown once a year in

16

Burundi. The Internationa I Rice Research Institute (IRRI) estimates that, in 2010, about 75,000 tons of rough rice were produced in the country, and another 40,000 tons of rice \ were imported. \

IRRlln Burundi ~ " ,,-~~.

IRRI started working in Burundi in 2008 when a Memorandum of Understanding between the country and the Institute was signed. The beginnings of this agreement came after current IRRI Liaison Scientist and Coordinator for Burundi Joseph Bigirimana attended the Rice Research to Production Training Course at IRRI in 2006.

IRRI now has an office within the University of Burundi campus, in the


Burundi: fas t facts

Population (July 2011 estimate): 10.2 million 1

Total land area (2011): 2.8 million ha 1

Annual rice consumption (2007): 6.2 kg/person' Area of rice production (20OS): 21,000 ha' Average rice yield (2008): 3.38 tons per ha'

' CIA World factboolt ' World RiceSla tistla. www.irrl.org/wortd-rice-statistla

Burundi: average rice consumption 1961-2007

Kilograms per person per year 7

6

5

4

3

2

1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006

Year

EX-COMBATANT women in Burundi are leaming to grow rice through IRRI.

capital city of Bujumbura, and employs six staff: a liaison scientist!coordinator, four research technicians, and an administrative assistant.

Rice research and capacity building The institutions involved in rice research in Burundi are IRRI, the faculties of agricultural sciences at the University of Burundi and the University ofNgozi, and the Institut des Sciences Agronomiques du Burundi.

Rice breeding Since 2009, IRRI's Burundi office has received and tested 670 rice varieties from IRRI headquarters. Var iety IR77713 is due [or release in 20ll, pending national approval. It is suitable for irrigated areas on the Imbo plain,

where it can yield an average of 6.5-7 tons per hectare, which is 1.5 tons per hectare more than the average yields of current popular loca I varieties. It matures 2-3 weeks earlier, providing grain and food earlier in the season and leaving more time to grow other crops. Another pending variety is IR795ll.

Farmers have field- and qualitytested IR77713 and IR79511 and they have ranked both varieties higher in terms of grain quality (unmilled, milled, and cooked rice) than the current varieties.

IRRI continues to develop more high-yielding, high-quality rice varieties suited to Burundi, such as varieties with better tolerance o[ cold temperatures, salinity, and iron toxicity and resistance to blast and sheath rot.


Rice production training for women In 2010, 398 ex-combatant women were trained in a joint IRRI-CARE project in all aspects of rice production. (See Women a/war turn to rice in Burundi on page 28.)

Tackling blast Blast is the most serious disease thai affects rice production in Burundi. A total of 29 rice lines, each containing one blast-resistance gene, have been fieldtested in two hot spots in the country. Results showed that nine genes had resistance to local strains ofleaf and neck blast. Breeding programs will now focus on these genes in an effort to improve resistance to loca I blast strains.

Collaboration and policy IRRI works together with nongovernment organizations and national, regional, and international stakeholders in Burundi. It a Iso plays an active role in the national committee for rice-sector development under the Ministry of Agriculture in Burundi.

Small-scale mechanization IRRI has trained its technicians in Burundi to use its recently acquired two-wheeled hand tractor and thresher. Now, it aims to demonstrate the use of the equipment to farmers. Using these farm machines can save time, labor, and money, which can then help lower rice prices. IRRI is talking with the Burundi government to plan for increased efficiency in rice production through mechanization and also to look at alternative employment options for farm laborers.

Capacity building IRRI is actively encouraging and supporting the education and training of Burundian rice researchers, technicians, and extension officers through short courses and graduate studies (MSc and PhD). In addition, the Institute is looking at developing a Burundi Rice Knowledge Bank-a Web-based repository of best practices and information about all aspects of rice production specific to Burundi. It also aims to extend its farmer field schools beyond the Imbo plain to other ricegrowing areas in Burundi. '

17


The Africa Rice Breeding Task Force responds to the call for an improved research and extension capacity

on the continent through a collaborative approach to rice breeding

ice breeders in sub- I Saharan Africa (SSA) '" are an endangered species, according to Dr.

Moussa Sie, Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) senior scientist. "Since classical plant breeding is no longer fashionable, very few students are taking up this discipline," he remarked. "Even the handfu I of rice breeders who are working in national programs today are generally above 45 years old."

A survey, which was conducted among AfricaRice's member countries, verifies his observation. It showed that even

that will build much-needed rice breeding capacity, facilitate access of African rice breeders to new materials, stimulate rice germplasm evaluation across the continent, and, in general, shorten the time needed to deploy new climate-resilient and stresstolerant rice varieties for major production systems in SSA.

"The international agricultural research centers (lARCs) cannot do this alone nor can the NARS," said Dr. Sie, who is the overall coordinator of this Task Force, which is supported by the joint IRRI-AfricaRice Japanfunded breeding project.

a country the size of Nigeria has only two rice breeders. "Africa needs trained rice breeders-most African countries have none," said Kofi Annan, chair of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, pointing out the lack of national capacity in rice breeding.

Drawing attention to the desperate lack of research and extension capacity, which threatens to impede the progress

SOME MEMBERS of the Africa Rice Breeding Task Force team (from left to right): Ms. Bernice Bancole, laboratory technician; Mr. Abdoulaye Sow, agronomist; Dr. Mamadou MBare Coulibaly, chair; Breeding Task Force; Dr. Jimmy Lamo, vice-chair, Breeding Task Force, and Dr. Moussa Sie, coordinator, Breeding Task Force.

Dr. Sie described the Breeding Task Force as a partnership of rice breeders from NARS and IARCs in Africa, which will provide synergy to breeding efforts across the continent, thereby increasing impact. To enhance communication and collaboration among all the partners of the Breeding Task Force, a dedicated Web site has been developed. (See

in developing Africa's rice sector, participants of the Second Africa Rice Congress, held in March 2010, urged African governments and their partners to substantially strengthen the training and retention of new staff.

The Congress also called for the revival of the successful Task Force approach, introduced by AfricaRice in the 1990s. The Task Force consists of an Africa-wide collective research for development effort on critical thematic areas in the rice sector, based on the principles of sustainability, buildup

18

of critical mass, and ownership by the national agricultural research systems (NARS).

The Africa Rice Breeding Task Force In response to this call, the Africa Rice Breeding Task Force was launched in June 2010 to regroup scarce human resources devoted to rice breeding in Africa and help build a new generation of rice breeders across the continent.

The main thrust of the Breeding Task Force is to adopt a systematic collaborative approach to rice breeding


www.africarice.org/afribreedl.)

The scope ofthe "force" The Breeding Task Force covers mainly the four mega-environments in SSAthe rainfed lowland, irrigated, upland, and high-elevation ecologies. The challenges in these mega-environments are many and breeders must be able to tackle these challenges through improvements in productivity, stability and adaptability and grain quality of rice.

Responsibilities for the different mega-environments have been divided

among AfricaRice and IRRI breeders based in Africa, who work closely with their NARS colleagues.

The main thrust of the Breeding Task Force consists of a 3-phase evaluation of rice breeding lines from IARCs and NARS, starting from the regional trial, then national trials, and participatory varietal selection trials (a rice garden followed by 2 years

conditions. "This feature is a bit like the Olympic Games," Dr. Kumashiro said.

The second unique feature is that the breeding lines will be cultivated at many sites and exposed to not just a few but many breeders from different institutes. The multiyear and multilocation trials

Multistage RegionalTrial Network

Africa Rice Breeding Task Force

are expected to enhance the quality of evaluation.

This will result in increased credibility on recommended varieties as well as credibility of data accumulated. "We expect that this will shorten the time lag between the completion of breeding

and the official approval for varietal release," Dr. Kumashiro stated.

of mother/baby trials). These trials are done in multiple locations in different countries (please see the map of Africa

Lines developed by ongoing AfricaRice Projects STRASA, GSR, GCP, Japan Rice

Breeding, etc.

Varieties dveloped by NARES, IRRI, CIAT

Training programs for breeding, experimental design, and germplasm database management have been organized to upgrade the skills of rice researchers, including a Rice Breeding Task Force trial

sites). The International Network

for the Genetic Evaluation of Rice (INGER)-Africa plays a key role in the multiplication and distribution of new seed for in-country hotspot testing and participatory varietal testing trials and genotypeenvironment analyses.

Takashi Kumashiro, regional theme leader of GRiSP Themes }I and i and leader of the AfricaRice Program on Genetic Diversity and Improvement, explained that one of the unique features of such an approach is that the breeding lines that enter the Task Force are provided by not one but many institutes such as NARS in Africa as well as IRRI, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIA T), and AfricaRice.

For example, in 2011, the breeding lines nominated for the lowland regional trial consisted of 13% lines from the NARS, 34% from AfricaRice, }4% from IRRI, and 39% from CIAT.

The Task Force thus enables the evaluation of many breeding lines with prior data on performance from different sources under different biophysical and socioeconomic

Breeding Task Force

t Regional trials

National trials

Rice garden

I Multilocation trial II Baby trial

I Multilocation trial II Baby trial

t

t 500 lines/year

100 lines/year

50 lines/year

5 nominated lines/year

I Recommendation to target countries I

Map of Africa Rice Breeding Task Force trial sites.

"IDI~ o

Tlial Siles High elevation

o Irrigated lowland

• Rainfed lowland

• Rainfed lowland and upland

• Upland

• ~1I·8 o

~~::=~~_~ kilometers o 100 1.400 2.eIOO

I Theme 1: Harnessing genetic diversity to chart new productivity, quality, and health horizons. 2 Theme 2: Accelerating the development, delivery, and adoption of improved rice varieties.


training course held at IRRI in October 2010 for rice breeders from various Asian and African countries as well as a training workshop organized by AfricaRice in December 2010 to introduce the principles and new concepts of the experimental planning for plant breeding.

The Task Force will also support MSc and PhD students, and link up with Global Rice Science Scholarships (GRiSS) and other types of scholarships.

Spotting the champions The key to the success of the Africa Rice Breeding Task Force will be timely and quality data collection, management, and interpretation for sound decisions on moving germ plasm forward in the various trials, according to Dr. Kumashiro. "If that is done well, smart G x E (genotype by environment) analyses will enable us to select promising breeding lines to proceed to the next phase, that is, spot potential 'Olympic champions' early." Hopefully, these "Olympic champions" will help remove some barriers toward improved quality and quantity of rice production on the continent and put Africa on the map of potential sources of rice food security in the world. ,

19

by Sophie Clayton and Alaric Francis Santiaguel

Ex-combatant women in Burundi try a second chance for a peaceful life by turning to rice farming

Burundi is a small landlocked country in Central Africa. Longstanding tribal conflicts in the country broke out into a civil war

in 1993 that lasted 12 years and resulted in more than 200,000 deaths.

In 2006, a year after the conflict ended, a horrendous 83% of Burundians were found living below the international poverty standard ofless than US$1.25 a day.' By 2010, Burundi ranked alongside its neighbor, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as the poorest country in the world.2

Women of war During the war, women in Burundi not only hid, fed, and looked after male combatants-including their own sons, brothers, and husbands-but they were also recruited to take up arms themselves.

The United Nations (UN) news service, IRIN, recorded an interview with Annabelle Nshimirimana, an excombatant in Burundi:3

"We used to leave home [carrying food] at around 8 p.m. and walk and walk; we arrived at their [Forces nation ales de liberation] hiding places at dawn.

The World Bank, bttp://data.worldbank.orgi.

"The next night, we walked back home, taking care nobody observed our absence. It was a difficult task because it was a long way through the mountains. Sometimes, we were ambushed and forced to fight."

After the war, many ex-combatant women were left scarred both physically and mentally and without money or resources to rebuild businesses or livelihoods. And, they became social outcasts.

The UN and other organizations work with governments to reintegrate excombatants into society. But, in Burundi, to be included in the UN's Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration program, ex-combatants had to either own or have direct access to a firearm themselves or pass a proficiency test in handling weapons.

4 This excluded many

women ex-combatants from the formal reintegration programs.

Replacing bullets with skills In 2009, a team of organizations, with financial support from the Howard Buffet Foundation, got together to help those "unofficial" ex-combatant women in Burundi who had fallen through the gaps.

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA): The World Factbook, http://snipurl.com/cia-facts. 3 IRIN news item: Female ex-combatants picking up the pieces (Burundi), http://snipurl.com/burundi_women2.

They provided a holistic approach to empower these women economically and socially.

CARE, Survivor Corps, and CEDAC focused on the psychosocial aspects of reintegration, while CONSEDI6 provided vocational training for the participants' economic development. The International Rice Research Institute's (IRRI) role was to improve their income by teaching them how to grow rice and by introducing new rice production technologies.

Rice is an increasingly important crop in Burundi (see Country snapshot on pages 18) and the women traditionally provide food for their families. They are the main source of agricultural labor for food production.

"IRRI and CARE organized about 400 ex-combatant women into 10 groups to grow rice on 10 hectares of land," said Mr. Joseph Rickman, IRRI's regional coordinator for East and Southern Africa. "The project supplied the necessary start-up financing for renting land, seed, and fertilizer, while the women provided the labor. Each group was visited by the project team weekly to provide the necessary training."

United Nations Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration-Burundi Programme, http://snipurl.com/burundi_women. Le Centre d'Encadrement et de Developpement des Anciens Combattants (Council for the Training and Development of Former Combatants). Council on Integrated Development, Bujumbura, Burundi.

20 Rice Today October-December 2011

IIWith IRRl's assistance, I

produce rice myself and I

can eat rice with my children

whenever I need it."

Ms. Elisabeth Nibigira

The women were taught how to grow rice through a farmer field school. Representatives of the women's groups learned all aspects of rice production, from land preparation to rice harvesting and drying. Back in their own fields, these women, in turn, shared their knowledge with their colleagues.

"From the profits the women made in the first season, they were able to pay for their own land and inputs the following year," said Dr. Joseph Bigirimana, liaison scientist and coordinator for IRRI in Burundi.

"These ex-combatant Burundi women are turning their own lives around-they just needed a hand to get started," he added. "Now, they are helping our country attain rice selfsufficiency and build a more stable future for all Burundians."

In their own words During a group interview with women involved in the project, they all indicated that the most important aspect of the

project was giving them access to land, which they would not have had without IRRI, CARE, and the cooperation of the Burundian government.

Ms. Scola Simbandumwe, one of the participants, explained: "With IRRI's assistance, we were able to get money to rent land for rice growing, which helped us produce rice for family consumption.

"We have gained technologies to improve our rice production," she added. "We now use less seed for the same area, thanks to IRRI's assistance. We also use enough fertilizer, unlike before, when we used small quantities because we could not pay the cost."

Elisabeth Nibigira, mother of four children and one of the farmers in training, said, "With the IRRI project, I now feel reintegrated into society. I do not feel afraid of people anymore, unlike during my combatant life; and other people no longer regard me as an excluded ex-combatant.

"When I was not growing rice," she added, "I used to eat rice only on feast days or when I got my pay from hard work. Now, with IRRI's assistance, I produce rice myself and I can eat rice with my children whenever I need it."

The women are very enthusiastic to keep developing their skills and their rice production. They want to mechanize and improve the efficiency of their operation to increase profit and reduce labor.

"The first thing we would like to have is a milling machine because we will benefit from it as we will not have to pay for milling," said Ms. Nibigira. "Other farmers will come to us and mill


their rice, which will provide us with money to feed our family. Moreover, we could then produce rice bran for our cattle or for sale."

Participatory science IRRI and students from the University of Burundi also conducted participatory variety selection trials that included the women in choosing the best rice varieties from field tests that compared local and potential new varieties. Engaging them in the selection process helps build project ownership and their knowledge about which varieties are best and why.

Varieties are tested for their capacity to perform well in different growing environments across Burundi and for traits, including resistance to local diseases such as sheath rot and blast, and tolerance of salinity, cold, and iron toxicity. A number of new varieties especially suited to Burundi are expected to be released soon as an outcome of these trials.

The results from these on-farm trials will also expedite the registration of new varieties, which the women's groups can use to produce more seeds.

The future In collaboration with the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Burundi, IRRI works to continue the project based on its outstanding success. But, it also seeks funding to include more women in the program and support the existing women to further develop their rice production skills and improve their access to technology. ,

21


As more men seek greener pastures in the city, the women are left to farm and

feed not just their families but the whole region

ii W hen you educate a girl, you educate a nation." Nowhere is this saying more

true than in the farming sector in Africa, according to Peinda Cisse, chair of a 35,000-strong farming women's group in Senegal.

Mrs. Cisse has been a vital conduit for moving agricultural research from scientists to farmers. She has spearheaded the production of foundation seed of improved rice varieties in Senegal, imparting to her group the knowledge she gained from researchers to ensure high yields and high-quality gram.

Praising women farmers, such as Mrs. Cisse, Rita Agboh-Noameshie, the focal person for gender research at the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), said that research has shown that, when women generate income through farming, processing, and marketing their goods, they produce high returns that benefit their families and communities as well.

"We have seen that women's incomes are the most important determinant of

22

children's development and thus offuture generations," Dr. Agboh-Noameshie explained. "Therefore, targeting women in agricu ltura I technology dissemination can have a greater impact on poverty than targeting men."

African women in farming More than in Asia, women in Africa play a central role in farming as they serve as pillars of the region's agriculture. Almost eight out of ten farmers that produce staple food in Africa are women, which means that women virtually feed the region. The high rate of male migration from villages to cities has left many women to playa bigger role in farming.

Despite women's significant contribution, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations noted that rural women have less access than men to land, credit, laborsaving technologies, and resources such as fertilizer and improved seeds.

"In addition, when a farm enterprise that is managed by women shows signs of becoming profitable, it is usually taken over by men," Mrs. Cisse observed.


A study on gender inequity in irrigated rice systems by AfricaRice and its partners showed that women in the Senegal River Valley lack access to critical resources, such as land, training, credit, and machinery. More than 70% of the women surveyed did not know how to access land for personal use and 88% did not receive any training in rice production.

Similarly, a gender-mainstreaming analysis carried out as part of a project on inland valley-based rice and vegetable value chains in Benin and Mali showed that rna Ie farmers have more control over resources and access to training opportunities than women.

Listening to women farmers In sub-Saharan African, rice is primarily a women's crop in rainfed upland and lowland ecologies. For example, a majority of West and Central Africa's 20 million upland rice farmers who grow nce are women.

Women provide the bulk of the labor in rice cultivation-sowing, weeding, bird scaring, harvesting, processing,

and marketing. Similarly, in East African countries such as Tanzania and Uganda, women playa major role in their respective country's rice production.

Recognizing their importance, since the 1990s, AfricaRice has been focusing on the needs of this group offarmers that had been generally neglected by agricultural research until then. Women farmers are invited to be part of participatory varietal selection (PVS) activities and their views are especia lly sought regarding new genetic materials.

The PVS approach was adopted to identify NERICA varieties that are best suited to farmers, particularly women farmers, typified by Bintu, a composite West African woman farmer who has been featured in several publications and videos on NERICA. (See http://snipurl. com/farmer-bintu.)

PVS exercises revealed that women and men rank plant traits differently, which reflects their different roles. For instance, women particularly preferred tall plant height because it takes the backache out of harvesting, especially when they carry their babies with them.

They also preferred traits that indicate weed competitiveness, since they are mostly involved in sowing and weeding. Processing and cooking qualities were also of more interest to women than to men. The women liked the early maturity of the upland NERICA varieties, as this shortens the lean or hungry season before harvest, when women struggle to feed their families.

Recent impact studies in Benin have shown that the adoption ofNERICA varieties reduces the household's likelihood of being poor by 10%, with a higher reduction for female-headed households (14%) than for male-headed households (6%).

Empowering women farmers To improve rural women's access to learning, several thousand women farmers have been trained in rice cultivation, seed production, and postharvest techniques, particularly by the African Rice Initiative, with support from the African Development Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Common Fund for Commodities, the European Union (EU), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Rural women across Africa have also greatly benefited from learning about improved rice farming and postharvest techniques through innovative farmer-to-farmer training videos that have helped them improve the quality of their rice, increase their income, and gain empowerment.

In close association with the West and Central African Women Rice Farmer Group Association, AfricaRice is laying the foundation of a grass-roots seed enterprise in Benin, Togo, and Senegal. The project, funded by the New Field


WOMEN FARMERS in Glazoue, Benin, learn how to produce quality seeds as part of a community-based seed enterprise.

Foundation, EU, and IFAD, aims to link smallholder women farmers to research, microfinance, and markets, opening up opportunities for them to become successful businesswomen in producing and marketing seeds.

Global support for women With increasing focus on gender mainstreaming, the recently launched Global Rice Science Partnership gives attention to how gender will be tackled in all its research activities.

African countries have also realized the importance of including womenoriented strategies. The National Rice Development Strategies that have been developed in several African countries with the help of AfricaRice and the Coalition for African Rice Development have highlighted this need.

As Liberia's Agriculture Minister Florence Chenoweth put it, "Helping female farmers is a good investment in the country's future. We know that, when we support women, more food and money go into feeding children at home.'"

23


War-torn African nations turn back to rice to rebuild lives and regain peace

The hills of Rwanda are once again alive with the sound of farmers singing as they harvest their crops. Rwanda, known

as "The Land of a Thousand Hills," is the most densely populated country in Africa and nearly 90% of the population depends on subsistence agriculture.

As the country moves on from the horrors of the 1994 genocide, it tries to build a new future for itself based on peace and sustainable growth. But, this is a difficult task because the civil war destroyed most of the seeds, crops, and livestock, and its farmers either fied the countryside or were killed in the strife. With them, knowledge about local crop varieties also disappeared.

The rise of rice The Rwandan government has identified the improvement of rice production as a cornerstone of Rwanda's fight against poverty and malnutrition. Domestic rice consumption has risen substantially and the country currently imports about 30% of the rice it consumes. Thus, the need for the country to improve its rice productivity is urgent.

The Africa Rice Cenler (AfricaRice) has been helping rehabilitate Rwanda's rice sector by working closely with the national program in distributing

24

appropriate rice varieties and training nationa I research staff. In order to bui ld new seed supply systems that farmers can rely upon, the AfricaRice has recommended a comprehensive strategy to rebuild the country's rice seed sector.

In addition, AfricaRice and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) are carrying out several important joint projects with support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Deutsche Gesellschaft fUr Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Through these projects, the country benefits from the recent advances in rice science, targeted training of researchers and seed producers, and the exchange of elite germplasm.

Rebuilding Africa AfricaRice has been helping postconfiict countries across Africa (Burundi, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Uganda) rebuild their national rice sector by restoring rice agrobiodiversity and slrenglhening human and inslilulional capacities.

These efforts have been made in partnership with national research


A POURING rainstorm does not stop Project participants of the Japan-funded Emergency Rice Project in Sierra Leone from posing with AfricaRice Deputy Director General for Research, Dr. Marco Wopereis, IRRI Deputy Director General for Research, Dr. Achim Dobermann, and African Rice Coordinator from AfricaRice, Dr. Inoussa Akintayo.

systems, nongovernmental agencies, and farmer organizations with support from the African Development Bank (AIDB), Belgian Development Cooperation, Canadian International Development Agency, GTZ, IFAD, the Japanese government, Swedish International Cooperation Development Agency, United Kingdom Department for International Development, and United Nations Development Programme.

When necessary, AfricaRice has provided infusions of seed of improved varieties, such as WITA and NERICA varieties, and helped restore lost germplasm collections. For instance, in Sierra Leone and Liberia, which have suffered years of civil war, over 5,000 rice varieties were restored to the national programs between 1994 and 2002.

Sierra Leone Wilh 70% ofils populalion living below the poverty line, Sierra Leone is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranked l80th out of 182 nations in the Human

Development Index. Rice is a strategic crop for Sierra Leone, where about 120 kilograms per capita of rice are consumed annually compared with 80 kilograms in Asia. Domestic production meets only 70% of the country's requirements.

The AfricaRice intervention in Sierra Leone after the war was mainly carried out through the AIDB-funded NERICA rice dissemination project in partnership with the national agricultural research system. As part of this project, 42 NERICA varieties were tested between 2005 and 2008, from which 10 were selected and seven adopted by farmers for cultivation.

About 415 farmer groups representing 65,500 farmers (including over 21,000 women) were involved in the testing program. More than 140 tons of foundation seeds and 3,880 tons of farmers' seeds were produced. Yield rose from 0.6 ton per hectare in 2005 to 1.8 tons per hectare in 2008.

Uberia AfricaRice has also been actively helping Liberia, where rice is the staple food and problems in supply have caused dead ly riots and civil strife in the past. The

.... SIERRA LEONE is one of the seven pilot countries of the African Development Bank (AfDB)-funded NERICA project carried out by the African Rice Initiative (ARI). Dr. Inoussa Akintayo, Regional ARI Coordinator (front left), and Ms. Chiles he Paxina, AfDB representative (right) with project participants.

country is still trying to recover from more than a decade of civil war. Despite its natural wealth in gems, rubber, and timber, Liberia remains one of the poorest countries in the world.

Liberia produces only about 40% of the rice it needs to feed its population, relying on imports to cover the rest. With support from UNDP, AfricaRice, through its African Rice Initiative (ARI), is rebuilding the capacity of smallholder rice farmers in postconflict Liberia. AfricaRice is also training technicians and farmers on seed production within the framework of the Millennium Village Project.

Through this collaborative project, the ARI is providing technical assistance and guidance across the rice value chain from seed production to harvest and postharvest processing in partnership with the national agricultura I research and extension system.

AfricaRice has recently provided about 60 tons of foundation seeds to the national seed bank. The linkages forged by AfricaRice with international development agencies have led to stronger capacity of farmers for seed production and increased rice cultivation. Specifically, the linkages have resulted in the development ofa national seed policy with a seed certification framework and a seed strategy, which will include a national seed service and national variety release agency for rice in Liberia.

Uganda AfricaRice technologies, such as NERICA varieties accompanied with

AfricaRice has trained extension workers and farmers in Liberia as part of the Millennium Village Project with support from the United Nations Development Programme.


IN RESPONSE to Liberia's request, the African Rice Initiative provided about 60 tons of NERICA-foundation seeds to the national seed bank for multiplication and distribution to farmers.

rice training videos, have played a key role in helping displaced farmers in northern Uganda. After more than 20 years, about 1.5 million refugees are gradually returning to their original lands. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations NERICA project is helping the farmers by introducing rice-based farming systems to increase food security and reduce poverty in Uganda.

A rice initiative In 2008, the food crisis caused by soaring prices of rice sparked violent riots in severa I West African countries (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Mauritania, Senegal, etc.), illustrating the continent's vulnerability to international rice market shocks.

The Emergency Rice Initiative launched by AfricaRice in the wake of the food crisis in 20 countries across subSaharan Africa, with support from Japan, has been able to help more than 58,000 vulnerable farmers get access to quality seed and, at the same time, reinforce or rebuild seed systems.

Similarly, the United States Agency for International Development-supported Famine Prevention Fund Project launched in partnership with IFDC, the Catholic Relief Services, and national programs, in response to the food crisis, is seeking to help about 10,000 farm families in each of the four project countries (Mali, Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal) to have better access to improved seed, fertilizer, and knowledge on rice production practices.

Hopefully, such concerted efforts to stimulate agricultural growth and reduce hunger can help prevent conflicts and reduce vulnerability among resourcepoor people in Africa. '

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TODAY, INDIGENOUS African rice is grown only a few far ls in isolated areas of Africa.

Scientists find a treasure trove of information in Africa's indigenous rice that could help

breed better varieties for tomorrow's generation

n the Danyi plateau in Togo, villagers still bless newly-wed couples by sprinkling rice grains over their heads. They

use indigenous African rice, which was domesticated about 3,500 years ago in West Africa. The villagers also continue to appease the souls of their ancestors by offering them this rice.

African rice is not only an integral part of the culture but also the preferred food. "Once you taste our rice, you will never like any other rice and it stays in your stomach unlike the modern varieties," the women say. The elderly villagers mourn, however, that their children and grandchildren are no longer interested in growing this rice.

According to some historians,

28

African rice sustained the great empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai in West and Central Africa during the lIth to 16th century. Today, however, this type of rice is becoming extinct as it is grown only in pockets of West Africa. In some areas, the deepwater or floating rice plants belonging to this species are still found.

African rice, whose scientific name is Oryza glaberrima, is unique to Africa. About 450 years ago, the Asian species, 0. sativa, was introduced to Africa from Asia and quickly became popular because of its high yield potentia 1.

Over the years, African rice has been replaced in the region by Asian rice because it is prone to lodging (plants fall over) and shattering (the panicle scatters seed at maturity). For years, it has also


been neglected by research. However, new findings presented

by Africa Rice Center (Africa Rice) scientists and their partners during the Africa Rice Congress held last 22-26 March 2010 in Bamako, Mali, have sparked renewed interest in this species.

A few African farmers, such as the villagers in the Danyi plateau, have continued to grow African rice because of its adaptability and its ceremonial and cultural value. These farmers inspired AfricaRice scientists to investigate the species and tap into its rich reservoir of genes for resistance to several stresses, including weeds.

For example, studies have shown that one of the O. glaberrima varieties, CG 14, is weed competitive and has

good resistance to iron toxicity, drought, nematodes, waterlogging, and major African rice diseases and pests. It seems to adapt to acid soil with low phosphorus availability.

"Such multiple resistance to indigenous constraints is a highly desirable character for rice cultivated in the rainfed ecology in West Africa by resource-poor farmers, who cannot afford to adopt intensive agronomic measures against such constraints," said Dr. Moussa Sie, senior rice breeder and coordinator of the Rice Breeding Task Force of AfricaRice.

That is why AfricaRice scientist Dr. Monty Jones and his team selected CG 14 when they decided to cross 0. glaberrima with 0. sativa in the 1990s to develop productive rice varieties that can adapt to African conditions. They succeeded in breaking the natural barrier that makes it difficult for the two species to cross. This was the genesis of the New Rice for Africa (NERICA). The best NERICA varieties combine the stress tolerance of 0. glaberrima with the high yield potential of 0. sativa.

"However, there are still gaps between the NERICA varieties and 0. glaberrima in relation to resistance to some local constraints," Dr. Koichi Futakuchi, AfricaRice ecophysiologist, observes.

AfricaRice therefore started to systematically characterize its entire 0. glaberrima collection of 2,500 samples in 2009. A special effort is being made to screen for major diseases and environmental stresses such as acidity, iron toxicity, cold, and salinity.

Explaining this comprehensive effort, Dr. Kayode Sanni, coordinator of the International Network for Genetic Evaluation of Rice for Africa (INGERAfrica), says that until now only a few accessions of 0. glaberrima have been used in the breeding programs.

"By characterizing our 0. glaberrima collection in our genebank, we may find new 0. glaberrima lines with better traits than the current parental lines ofNERICA," Dr. Sanni says.

AfricaRice is a Iso changing the breeding concept as well as breeding procedures to develop new interspecific varieties. "The new concept for interspecific breeding between 0.

glaberrima and 0. sativa is to combine the adaptability of 0. glaberrima to local environments with the optimal conjunction of the best tra its of the two species in relation to yielding ability," says Dr. Futakuchi.

Studies made by Dr. Futakuchi and his colleagues show that the 0. glaberrima parent of the upland NERICA varieties, CG 14, even produced more panicles than the "panicle-number type" high-yielding 0. sativa varieties, although its individual panicle was smaller. The introduction of such an extraordinary trait may favor yielding ability.

Such studies increasingly recognize the "need to exploit the treasure trove that is in African rice germplasm," as AfricaRice upland rice breeder Dr. Mande Semon puts it.

Dr. Semon is leading the effort to obtain interspecific hybrids that have


more 0. glaberrima genes in the genome than the current NERICA varieties, which were developed from backcrossing to an 0. sativa parent. "We are using interspecific bridge lines in crosses with 0. glaberrima and 0. barthii and no backcrossing has been done with the 0. sativa parent," he explains. "The progenies will be ready for field testing soon."

To better exploit the assets of 0. glaberrima without being hampered by the sterility problems of hybridization with another species, AfricaRice scientists have begun working on the intraspecific breeding of 0. glaberrima and are taking steps to develop plants that are less prone to lodging and shattering.

Since 0. glaberrima had been considered to have generally low yield potential, interspecific hybridization with 0. sativa, which has high yield potential, was a major method in using this species. However, AfricaRice breeders now think that 0. glaberrima can potentially yield 5-6 tons per hectare, which is sufficient for rainfed rice ecosystems in Africa.

Initial results from crossing different types of 0. glaberrima a Iso show that completely different sets of genes are responsible for tolerance of submergence, rice yellow mottle virus, and phosphorus deficiency in soils from those in 0. sativa.

Some new products will likely be derived using molecular breeding approaches, through collaborative efforts with the International Rice Research Institute and Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. AfricaRice scientists are already using this approach to introduce resistance to disease and other stresses into some of Africa's most popular rice varieties.

With Cornell University in the U.S., a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip is being developed based on core collections of 0. glaberrima and 0. barthii. This chip can efficiently analyze African germplasm and screen interspecific progenies for desirable tra its.

"We have new products in the pipeline for Africa's rice farmers, particularly those who want to continue to grow African rice-like those of the Danyi plateau," says Dr. Sie. ,

29

Africa develops climate change-resilient rice technologies

or Glegnon Codjo, a smallholder rice farmer in Benin, climate change is not a matter of debate. It is fast eroding his source

of livelihood. "Our seasons have gone crazy: either the rains don't come when our crops need them or there is so much rain that our crops rot," he laments. "I thought God was angry with us. But now, I am told that all this is happening because of climate change."

Like Glegnon, millions of smallholder farmers in Africa are increasingly grappling with the changing climate around them. Scientists predict that climate change will make extreme weather conditions-such as floods and droughts that can erode soil and lead to crop failure-more common.

When combined with the natural vulnerability and poor adaptive capacity in Africa, these impacts on agriculture could have devastating consequences for food security, poverty, and socia I welfare. Therefore, climate change is likely to have a far greater impact here

30

than in other parts of the world. Scientists, governments, and

donors need to take urgent measures to improve the resilience of rura I African communities to enable them to better adapt to climate change.

Rice is increasingly becoming important in Africa-both as a food and cash crop-and increased rice production will be crucial to achieving the necessary adaptation. Rice production in the region, however, is affected by such stresses as drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures, all of which are expected to worsen with climate change. To adapt successfully to climate change, farmers need rice technologies with greater tolerance of these stresses.

Since these stresses have always posed a significant threat to rice production, the Africa Rice Center (Africa Rice) has been developing for several years now rice varieties adapted to local stresses and more efficient farming techniques to help poor farmers better manage their use of the


increasingly scarce water and fragile soil in Africa. Their efforts are now paying rich dividends.

The African cultivated rice species Oryza glaberrima is a rich reservoir of useful genes for resistance to major stresses. This discovery led AfricaRice scientists to cross the African rice species with the higher-yielding Asian 0 sativa, which resulted in the birth of a generation of new rice varieties, called NER1CA ®.

The NER1CA varieties are promising for rainfed systems in Africa. Farmers like these varieties because they mature early and thus often escape drought.

Using both conventional breeding and biotechnology, AfricaRice scientists continue to develop rice varieties that are even hardier than NER1CA by maximizing the diversity of the African rice germplasm pool consisting of 0 glaberrima, its wild relatives (0 barthii and 0 longistaminata), and 0 sativa landraces. These offer a massive potential for use as sources for resistances to major stresses in rice.

New scientific tools, such as molecular biology techniques, help speed up the development of new stress-tolerant rice varieties as they enable AfricaRice breeders and their partners to more efficiently identify and select genes that control stress tolerance. Because of this, the scientists can then successfully transfer the desirable traits from the African rice gene pool into popular varieties.

This work is closely allied with the farmer participatory approach, which is highly effective in ensuring that rice improvement also takes into account farmers' valuable local knowledge. It is crucial for these new varieties to suit local needs and preferences.

"Thus, climate-resilient rice varieties resulting from this work have already reached farmers' fields, and more are in the making," said Dr. Baboucarr Manneh, AfricaRice coordinator for the IRRI-AfricaRice joint project on "Stresstolerant rice for poor farmers in Africa and South Asia (STRASA)."

The STRASA project, which involves 14 African countries and three South Asian countries, is funded by

the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). It aims to accelerate the development and delivery of improved rice varieties tolerant offive major stresses-drought, submergence, salinity, iron toxicity, and low temperature. Thanks to this project, new stress-tolerant rice varieties are now being evaluated in farmers' fields using the farmer participatory varietal selection approach.

However, integrated crop and soil fertility management strategies still need to be developed and disseminated to realize the full potential of climateresilient varieties of rice and also to stabilize yields and reduce environmental degradation arising from climate change in rice ecosystems.

AfricaRice has developed an integrated crop management (ICM) approach for irrigated and rainfed lowlands. Significant gains in yields and profits from ICM have been obtained across the continent.

A study by AfricaRice demonstrates that a paddy irrigation regime that starts with the traditional flooding practice and then changes to alternate wetting


(Left) AfricaRice investigates the climateresilient traits of the indigenous African rice, Oryza glaberrima. (Right) Most of the rice farmers in sub-Saharan Africa are women. Through participatory approaches, they have become very much involved in AfricaRice's research on stress-tolerant rice.

and drying later on can save water with little or no yield loss in a Sahel ian environment, provided weeds are controlled.

AfricaRice is closely involved in a multipartnership project on "Developing rice and sorghum crop adaptation strategies for climate change in vulnerable environments in Africa" (RISOCAS), which is led by the University of Hohenheim. This endeavor is carried out in partnership with the Centre de cooperation internationale en recherche agronomique pour Ie developpement (CIRAD) for crop modeling. It aims to deliver coping strategies for crops to adapt to changing climatic conditions, along with tools and methods that will enable stakeholders to develop such strategies further, or to apply them to other crops or environments.

As pa rt of a new project to be launched in 2010, AfricaRice will initiate a study on the relationship between rice diseases and climate change. Two of the major rice diseases affecting the region are rice blast and bacterial blight. Both are greatly influenced by climate, especially temperature and humidity. Funded by Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit, the project will be carried out in Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania in collaboration with German universities and IRRI.

"We are a Iso planning to get climatologists and geographic information systems (GIS) experts more involved in environmental characterization," explained Dr. Paul Kiepe, the focal person in charge of climate change-related research at AfricaRice. "More precise predictions of future climate patterns are needed in this research that aims to develop climateresilient, rice-based technologies."

AfricaRice continues to find and improve technologies for resource-poor farmers in Africa that are suitable and effective in reducing the negative effects of climate change on rice production and marketing. ,

31

A D RICE D SEASES by Savitri Mohapatra

A study in East Africa seeks to quantify yield losses that are caused by rice diseases under various climate conditions

International and national rice pathologists, who gathered recently for a training workshop in Burundi, were surprised to

find symptoms of an important rice disease called bacterial leaf streak during their field visit. "The presence of bacterial leaf streak of rice was never reported before in this East African country," said Orissa Silue, senior pathologist at the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice).

His team has also recently detected the symptoms of bacterial sheath rot of rice for the first time in Senegal in West Africa. "Farmers in northern Senegal were desperate as their rice crop was being devastated by this 'mysterious' disease and asked us for help," said Ms. Afolabi Oluwatoyin Oluwakemi, research assistant in the AfricaRice Plant

32

Pathology Unit, who visited the farmers' fields to examine the problem and collect samples.

"These are seedborne diseases," remarked Dr. Silue. "Although we cannot rule out climate change as one of the factors. We are testing them further to identify disease-resistant rice varieties and management practices, which can be recommended to farmers."

Plant diseases and pests are strongly influenced by changing weather patterns in the same way that many infectious diseases of humans and animals are climatesensitive. The relationship between weather and diseases has long been recognized, but the reality of climate change has now added a new complexity. Researchers are seeking to better understand the relationship


between climate and disease occurence and patterns to forecast disease outbreaks and develop control strategies.

With warming occurring in some regions, experts think that changes in temperature, rainfall patterns, and extreme events could exacerbate the spread of crop diseases and alter the pest-plant relationship. For example, symptoms of brown spot and narrow brown leaf spot are now increasingly seen in farmers' fields in West and East Africa. Dr. Silue wonders if climate change is responsible for this.

Unknown and unexpected crop disease occurrences, such as the ones mentioned above, are projected to increase and some minor diseases may become major problems in areas where they were previously insignificant. A case in point is sheath

blight of rice, which had been a minor disease in Asia, but is now a serious problem.

Such changes have potentially serious implications for food security. The negative impacts of climate change are also aggravated by poverty and population explosions still occurring in developing countries.

Helping rice farmers in East Africa "To date, little research has been done focusing on Africa regarding the potential consequences of global warming on agriculture," said Dr. Paul Kiepe, AfricaRice regional representative for Eastern and Southern Africa and focal point for the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS).

"New climate-resilient varieties and crop- and resource-management technologies may help smallholder farmers adapt to the rapidly changing environments," he added. "Mitigation opportunities are also very important."

To help these farmers, AfricaRice is carrying out a 3-year project, Mitigating the impact of climate change on rice disease resistance in East Africa. This is being done in collaboration with the University of G6ttingen and Erfurt University of Applied Sciences of Germany, International Rice Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Organization and National Crops Resources Research Institute of Uganda, Rwanda Agriculture Board, and Uyole Agricultural Research Institute of Tanzania.

The project is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and German International Cooperation. Complementary funds from CCAFS are used to support climate change related activities.

It covers three countries in the Great Lakes region: Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, this is one of the regions in Africa that are most vulnerable to climate change.

"Focusing on East Africa is necessary because information on rice diseases here is very scarce," said Dr. Yacouba Sere, former AfricaRice plant pathologist, who has designed and partly managed the project. "The effect of climate change on rice disease propagation and severity is not well known. This project will hopefully close the knowledge gap through strategic and applied research."

Project researchers are mapping and quantifying the impact of climate change on rice yield loss due to two important rice diseases prevalent in the region-bacterial leaf blight and blast. They are also investigating rice-pathogen interactions under different climate scenarios and identifying resistance genes. Researchers are also exploiting farmers' indigenous knowledge of local rice diseases and any climate change experiences farmers may have already observed.

Project results will allow plant pathologists and breeders to determine what these pathogen strains are, where and when they occur, and if climate change has any effects on their severity. Eventually, this will lead to the development of regional varieties resistant to these strains of blast and bacterial leaf blight and concomitant management practices with climate change in mind.

Once the team identifies effective genes with resistance to these diseases, they will be transferred through marker-assisted selection into high-yielding mega varieties currently grown by the farmers.

Building capacity The project team is also strengthening the capacity of national partners in disease monitoring, bacterial disease diagnosis, pathogen analysis, simulation modeling, and matching of pathogens with resistance genes. For farmers, the team has organized training to show them how to assess injuries caused by diseases, animal pests, and weeds.

Six MSc and three PhD students, who are actively involved in the project's activities, will be contributing scientific papers on the effects of climate change on the


pathogenicity of these two diseases and on the region's rice production.

Initial results The project team has assessed the extent of bacterial leaf blight and blast disease problems in the three countries and has obtained some basic information on pathogen distribution and diversity. Initial results indicate that the Pi9 gene is effective against blast populations tested so far.

The researchers have checked rice disease-inflicted yield losses under various climate conditions using a combination of simulation models (RICEPEST and EPIRICE) and climatic data in Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda. Preliminary results show that, in Tanzania, yield losses caused by bacterial leaf blight significantly increased under all climate scenarios studied. Blast, on the other hand, is predicted to have an insignificant effect on yield under the same scenarios. The simulation for Rwanda and Uganda is ongoing.

These results are being validated using field data and will be available through a public-accessible Webbased mapping application.

According to Dr. Kiepe, these efforts to study climate-change impacts on rice and the resulting adaptation and mitigation strategies will create a range of solutions to help build climate-resilient food systems that will significantly increase Africa's food security. ~

Ms. Mohapatra is the head of Marketing and Communications at AfricaRice.

33

News

Improved rice brings mixed esu ts in Uganda

he introduction of improved upland NERICA rice varieties has not only improved rice

production in Uganda but has also provided many women farmers with more bargaining power with their husbands, says an article in the Journal of Eastern African Studies.

In Uganda, men traditionally produce high-value cash crops and women produce low-value food crops. Since rice is a high-value food crop

produced by both sexes, women are treated as partners in its productionand not just as free family labor.

But, a gender analysis offered a more complicated picture as women and children take on the most burdensome tasks related to rice cultivation. Thus, women are exhausted and unable to perform other tasks, while their children have to miss school. ~

Source: www.cgiar.org

New project to boost rice yield in African countries

Researchers from the Support for Agricultural Research and Development of Strategic Crops

(SARD-SC) project attended the 6th African Agricultural Science Week in Accra, Ghana. The event aimed to draw more support from partners for SARD-SC to raise agricultural productivity in 20 African countries.

Project coordinator Dr. Chrysantus Akem of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture said that narrowing the yield gap is key to helping millions of African farmers compete globally and feed themselves. The project aims to reduce food importation and offer farmers better access to markets, to improve livelihoods, and to tackle poverty through empowered beneficiaries.

With funding of US$63 million from the African Development Bank, SARD-SC will work with farmers in Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, DR Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. '

Source: http.}/reliejweb.int

Endangered African rice showcased at 2013 Africa Agriculture Science Week

34

he CGIAR booth at the 6th Africa Agriculture Science Week featured samples of the

African rice Oryza glaberrima from the AfricaRice genebank. This African rice, which is threatened with extinction, is a rich reservoir of genes for coping with local stresses in adapting to climate change that could potentially strengthen food security. The booth also showcased seeds of five recently released ARICAs, upland and lowland NERICAs,


and the Sahel series developed by AfricaRice and its partners.

The science event held in Ghana was attended by more than a thousand delegates from across Africa and scientists and experts from various CGIAR centers and research programs. This year's theme was Africa feeding Africa through Science and Innovation.~

Sou rce: http.}/ajricarice.blogspot.com

News

Africa • gets rice

va ieties with igher yie ds

Anew generation of highperforming rice varieties, branded as ARICA (Advanced

Rice Varieties for Africa), has been launched by the Africa Rice Breeding Task Force. Five ARICA varieties (three lowland varieties and two upland varieties) out yielded the most popular check varieties in the trials. The three lowland varieties have a yield advantage of 30-50% over NERICA-U9 while the two upland varieties can yield 15% more than NERICA4.

"Unlike the NERICA varieties, the ARICAs are not restricted to interspecific crosses,"said Dr. Marco Wopereis, deputy director general at the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice). "Any line that shows promise, regardless of its origin can become an ARICA variety as long as the data that are collected are convincing."

"The ARICA varieties offer promising opportunities to Africa's rice sector and can make a difference to the lives of Africa's rice farmers, who do not have access to new varieties that are better adapted to their growing environment and likely to sell well," said Dr. Papa Seck, AfricaRice director general.

The Breeding Task Force, which was set up in 2010, comprises international and national rice breeders from 30 African countries and operates as part of the Japanfunded project, Developing the Next Generation of New Rice Varieties for SubSaharan Africa and Southeast Asia.

ARICA, a new generation of high-performing rice varieties •

It has adopted a systematic and multi-environment testing approach to increase its efficiency and efficacy. In addition to rice breeders, farmers, members of national variety release committees and other stakeholders participate in the evaluation. The breeding lines that enter the Task Force are provided by many institutes that are part of the Global Rice Science Partnership, which is the CGIAR Research Program on Rice.

"This will contribute to faster, better documented and better targeted releases of new climateresilient and stress-tolerant rice varieties for major production systems in Africa," said Moussa Sie, Africa Rice Breeding Task Force coordinator. Dr. Sie is a senior rice breeder who developed the lowland NERICAs for which he received the Japan International Koshihikari Rice Prize in 2006.

He added that the Task Force helps strengthen breeding capacity and ensures that national breeders can use the materials from the Task Force not just to evaluate, but also to develop or improve their own varieties to get a better fit with their consumers' preferences and ecologies. ~


Rice varieties released in Tanzania

Tanzanian farmers can now boost rice production by adopting two IRRI-bred high-yielding

rice varieties, Komboka (IR05N 221; photo below) and Tai (IR03A 262). The new varieties are highly preferred by farmers for their long, slender, and translucent grains and soft texture for cooking. Both varieties can be grown twice a year.~

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News

Average rice yie d in sub-Saharan Africa jumps 30%

The average rice yield in subSaharan Africa (SSA) expanded by about 30% from 2007 to

2012, and it is increasing faster than the global average according to an analysis by the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice).

From 1961 to 2007, the average rice yield in SSA increased by about 11 kg per hectare per year. And, it rose by a spectacular average of 108 kg per hectare per year from 2007 to 2012, despite drought and floods in several African countries in 2011 and 2012.

AfricaRice revealed that the paddy rice production growth rate in SSA shot up from 3.2% per year from 2000 to 2007 to 8.4% per year from 2007 to 2012.

"This is very encouraging news," said AfricaRice Director General Papa Seck. "The surge in SSA's rice production and yield is a result of key investments made by farmers, governments, the private sector, the research community, and donors to develop Africa's rice sector."

Dr. Seck underlined that it is crucial to maintain this trend, because rice consumption in SSA continues to increase at 5% annually.

AfricaRice Deputy Director General Marco Wopereis explained that such growth rates are comparable with cereal yield growth rates after World War II in the United Kingdom and the U.S.

"Currently, 71% of the increase in paddy rice production in SSA can be explained by yield increases and 29% by area expansion, whereas, before the rice crisis, only 24% of the production increase could be attributed to increases in yield and

76% to increases in harvested area," Dr. Wopereis said.

"This is evidence of increased use of technological innovation, such as improved varieties and improved crop management in general," he added.

Rice yield worldwide-driven by the Green Revolution in Asiaincreased by 52 kg per ha per year from 1960 to 2010. ~

Source: http://ajricarice. wordpress.com

Nigera: Rich farmers more likely to adopt improved rice varieties

H', ousehold wealth strongly affects farmers' decisions on whether to use improved rice varieties

(IRVs), according to a study of rice farmers in Nigeria.

"Wealthier households are more likely to adopt IRVs than their poorer counterparts," said Aliou Diagne, AfricaRice economist. "The richest rice farmers have better access to re-

36

sources and may be more able to take risks. Similarly, expensive technologies are available only to-and thus adopted by-the richest farmers."

The adoption of IRVs has had a significant positive impact on household income and on Nigerian rice production, Dr. Diagne said.

But, he added that boosting the adoption of IRVs by farmers,


regardless of wealth, will require improving their awareness of IRV benefits; disseminating IRVs more widely; investing in farmer education programs; facilitating farmer access to credit, seeds, and farmer organizations; and offering them better supervision by extension agents.~

Source: www.scidev.net

News

Idenffyng r· ce weeds in Africa

THE WEED identification tool is also accessible as an app on a tablet.

Anew interactive tool can now identify nearly 200 different weed species of lowland rice in

East and West Africa. Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice)

recently unveiled this tool built on a comprehensive knowledge base. It is accessible online and offline (CD or as an app on smartphones and tablet computers).

"Weeds are perhaps the most important constraint in rice production, so this is a valuable resource for all those involved in research, training, and management of rice weeds in sub-Saharan Africa, where total rice production losses because of weeds are estimated at US$l.S billion," said Dr. Jonne Rodenburg, AfricaRice weed scientist.

The weed identification tool is the product of a 3-year project on "African Weeds of Rice" (AFROweeds), which is coordinated

by the Centre de cooperation internationale en recherche agronomique pour Ie developpement (CIRAD) and AfricaRice, with support from the EU Africa, Caribbean, Pacific (ACP) Science and

Technology Program. The project, now

almost complete, is carried out in partnership with national agricultural research and extension systems in sub-Saharan Africa.

The project has also developed "Weedsbook" -a professional social

network for sharing information between professionals and students interested in applied botany, weed science, and weed management in rice in Africa.

"These resources have been developed to help disseminate knowledge and exchange information not only among the project members but also among all the community of actors in the rice value chain,"


said Dr. Thomas Le Bourgeois, weed scientist from CIRAD and leader of the AFROweeds project.

"The target users are weed scientists and agronomists, students and professors of universities, farmers' associations, and extension services," he added. ~

Burundi releases two new rice varieties March 2012

Two newly-released varieties, IR77713 and IR795 I I, are expected to boost

food production and meet the rapidly growing demand for rice in Burundi.

Farmers and agricultural stakeholders in Burundi chose the two rice varieties (IR77713 and IR79511) bred by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) over the country's locally grown varieties-VI4, V18, Watt, and Rukaramu-because they produce more rice and taste and look better.

The new varieties easily gained favor because they are high-yielding and early-maturing. They yield up to 7 tons per hectare, which is 1-1.5 tons more than the locally grown varieties, and they mature 2-3 weeks earlier.

The farmers also ranked IR77713 and IR79511 highest in grain quality of unmilled, milled, and cooked rice. In addition, a sensory test revealed that farmers find IRRI's new varieties tasty.

The new varieties are suitable to be planted in lowland areas of the country (800-900 meters above sea level). ~

FARMERS chose IR77713 and IR79511 as the best looking rice varieties.

37

News

African PhD students receive Global ice Science Scholarships

Nine PhD students from Africa have been granted 2011 Global Rice Science Scholarships (GRiSS).

They represent one-third of the total number of successful GRiSS candidates selected from around the world through a highly competitive process.

GRiSS was launched in 2011 under the CGIAR Research Program "Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP)." The scholarship offers young agricultural scientists the opportunity to be experts in a scientific discipline relating to rice and to have a broader understanding of the global issues that affect rice science for development.

"These young students will be part of the new generation of rice scientists who will strengthen Africa's research capacity," said Papa Abdoulaye Seck, director general, Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice). AfricaRice, one of the architects of GRiSP, leads its activities in Africa.

These awardees from Africa will conduct their doctoral research under the joint supervision of AfricaRice scientists and their respective universities. Representing diverse agricultural disciplines, their thesis topics cover agronomy, plant pathology, entomology, soil and water science, plant breeding, and social science.

Reacting to the news of their selection, the first batch of awardees, who have begun discussing issues related to their research topic with their respective supervisors, expressed their delight and sense of pride.

"It is very encouraging to receive an international scholarship like GRiSS that will allow me to fulfill my dream of becoming an entomologist and teaching in our university," said Carline Santos from Benin, one of the two women awardees in 2011.

Alexander Nimo Wiredu from Ghana and Abibou Niang from Senegal remarked that they felt honored because GRiSS aims to produce world-class scholars.

38

Mr. Wiredu will investigate the impact of fertilizer subsidy on farmlevel rice productivity and food security in northern Ghana, while Mr. Niang will study the factors behind rice yield differences among farmers in selected countries of West Africa, among other things.

Underlining the desperate lack of trained capacity in rice research and development on the continent, Dr. Seck said, "Skills are lacking in all major

TOP PHOTO: (Left to right) GRiSS scholars Omar Ndaw Faye from Senegal and Jasper Mwesigwa Batureine from Uganda visited AmcaRice to discuss their research topics.

CARLINE SANTOS from Benin is one of the two African women who received a GRiSS scholarship.


disciplines relating to rice science, from plant breeding to policy research. This threatens to impede the progress in developing Africa's rice sector."

"Currently, 60-70 graduate students from both African and non-African countries are supervised by AfricaRice researchers across the continent and we hope to increase this number gradually," stated Dr. Marco Wopereis, AfricaRice deputy director general and director of research for development. ,

e

News

More rice for Africa, target of new research hub

With the assistance of the International Rice Research

Institute (IRRI), the government of Burundi has established a regional rice research and development hub to improve food security in eastern and southern Africa. The new regional office will focus on developing and testing new rice varieties matched to the different rice production environments across eastern and southern Africa. The regional office was inaugurated on 30 October 2013 as part of the IRRI Board of Trustees meeting in Bujumbura, Burundi.

First Vice-President Busokoza said that the government of Burundi shares the same vision as IRRI to provide sustainable ways of growing rice in order to improve the well-being of rice producers and consumers, reduce poverty, and preserve the environment.

Dr. Robert S. Zeigler, IRRI director general, said, "I am very

IRRI'S EASTERN and Southern Africa

greater region."

optimistic that this new regional hub will substantially contribute to the development of the rice sector in eastern and southern Africa, and build our collaboration with our partners in Burundi and the

"With advances in technology, we can expedite the breeding process to ensure that new rice

varieties are available every year for the region," said Dr. Achim Dobermann, IRRI's deputy director general for research. "It is our vision for Burundi to become a leading regional hub for excellent, highyielding rice varieties that also have good grain quality."

Dr. Adama Traore, interim director general of AfricaRice, highlighted the importance of Asia-Africa knowledge exchange that has been made possible by the CGIAR Research Program for Rice, known as the Global Rice Science Partnership. ~

New machine can cut postharvest losses in Cameroon

Amachine that mills rice, cleans it, and separates the broken grains from the good ones has been developed

by the National Institute for Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD) to improve rice growing in Cameroon. DO

Eddy Ngongkeu, coordinator of annual crops at IRAD, said that the machine could help reduce postharvest losses of around 125,000 tons of rice.

"If postharvest losses decline to 15%, this may create a greater effect than planting new varieties," said Ndindeng Sali Atanga, Africa Rice Center grain quality and postharvest expert.

For this innovation to reach the farmers, however, an effective policy framework for the dissemination of technologies to farmers still needs to be in place. ~

Source: www.scidev.net

Rice Today January-March 2014 39

Working together for the rice farmers and consumers of Africa!

Africa Rice

~6~ CGIAR

Research Program on Rice

Global Rice Science Partnership

On the front cover:

IRRI

Ex-combatant women in Burundi get a second chance for a peaceful life

by turning to rice farming.

Rice Today is published by the International Rice Research Institute on behalf of the Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP)

Documents

Rice Today - Special Supplement for AfricaRice Science Week and GRiSP Africa-Forum