Increasing rice production in Africa
Project / Programme Summary

1. Objectives
   To increase rice productivity of small farmers in West Africa and in South-East Africa. In West Africa, this objective will be pursued by developing appropriate farming system and new rice species by hybridization in collaboration with WARDA (the West Africa Rice Development Association) in Cote d'Ivoire. In South-East Africa, by introducing irrigated ecosystem rice farming in collaboration with IRRI (the International Rice Research Institute) in the Philippines.
2. Activities / contents
   (a) in West Africa
   (1) Appropriate technology of rice cultivation is planned to be tested and demonstrated in Cote d'Ivoire and extension workers are trained in West African countries in collaboration with WARDA in order to enhance extension activities to appropriate rice cultivation technology.
   (2) WARDA will collaborate with IRRI to boost upland rice production by hybridization between African and Asian rice species.
   (b) in South-East Africa
   IRRI dispatches experts to help farmers in South-East African countries where the climate is similar to the one in South-East Asia grow more rice through the introduction of irrigated ecosystem rice farming.
3. Expected outcomes / impacts
   (1) To develop new low-management varieties with high yield potential that can withstand disease and environmental stress to help farmers grow more rice on limited land with less water, fewer chemicals and less damages to the environment.
   (2) To disseminate appropriate rice farming system based on Asian experience (South-South Cooperation).
4. Features in line with the Agenda for Action
   In the Agenda for Action, priorities are placed to South-South Cooperation as well as Agricultural Development.

Research and Programing Division, and Multilateral Cooperation Division, Economic Cooperation Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan.