(3-minute read)
Yaoundé is hosting a multinational training program aimed at doubling Africa’s rice production to 56 million tonnes by 2030 while improving grain quality. This initiative is part of broader efforts to reduce import dependency and strengthen food security. The workshop brought together delegates from nine African countries under the Coalition for African Rice Development (CARD) and adopts a value-chain approach covering seed selection, cultivation, processing, and marketing.
The initiative is being implemented through the Project for the Development of Irrigated and Rainfed Rice Cultivation by Strengthening the Value Chain (PRODERIP-RCV), with technical and financial support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). It was officially opened by the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Professor Bambot Grace Annih, representing the Cameroonian Minister of Agriculture.
Professor Bambot Grace Annih noted that the low competitiveness of production systems continues to limit rice production in the sub-region. She identified limited access to quality planting materials, low mechanization, inadequate rural infrastructure, post-harvest losses, climate variability, and insufficient funding as major challenges. Emphasizing the strategic importance of rice for both urban and rural households, she stressed that improving living standards and food security depends on building a more efficient agricultural and rural economy.
The economic stakes are significant. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Africa imported over 17 million tonnes of rice in 2023, spending more than 8 billion US dollars annually to meet domestic demand, with Central and West Africa among the most import-dependent regions. FAO data also shows that average rice yields in sub-Saharan Africa remain below 2.5 tonnes per hectare, well under the global average of about 4.7 tonnes, highlighting the productivity gap the value-chain approach seeks to address.
CARD Coordinator, Reginald Ze-Nkpwang, recalled that the initiative was launched in 2008 at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development by JICA, in partnership with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development. During its first phase (2008-2018), CARD supported member states in developing National Rice Development Strategies and building capacity across the value chain, resulting in 218 projects and raising Africa’s rice production to about 30.1 million tonnes in 2017.
CARD’s second phase, running from 2019 to 2030, aims to double production from about 28 million tonnes to 56 million tonnes by the end of the decade. JICA officials present at the Yaoundé meeting stated that the ongoing training would help narrow the gap between domestic production and consumption in Central Africa. Outgoing JICA Resident Representative in Cameroon, Kageyama Tadashi, emphasized its role in reducing deficits and building technical capacity, while Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Japan, Uehara Kenya, expressed confidence that participating countries would apply the lessons learned to transform their agricultural sectors.
National experiences illustrate the scale of import dependency. Officials from the Republic of Congo reported domestic production of about 2,000 tonnes per year against imports of nearly 80,000 tonnes, a common pattern in Central Africa. Data from the FAO Rice Market Monitor published in 2024 indicates that rice consumption in Africa continues to grow by over 3% each year, driven by population growth and urbanization.
The Yaoundé workshop is designed to equip stakeholders with practical tools to improve yields, quality, and market access, while aligning national strategies with CARD’s continental goals. Participating countries include Mauritania, Benin, Burundi, Chad, Gabon, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, and Cameroon. Training sessions cover rice production system assessment, quality standards, seed production and purification, mechanization, water management, post-harvest handling, packaging, and marketing. According to MINADER officials, the program also seeks to harmonize support among CARD’s 32 member states and improve the business climate to attract more investment in rice cultivation and processing.