Africa is one of the most ancient agricultural based civilizations ever existed. The continent also is highly rich with its own natural and human resources. However, the continent is partially suffering from food supply shortage and famine due to desertification and soil deterioration as well as the missing link between research and rural farmers. Rice is one of the most strategic cereal crop in Africa and worldwide. Sustainable rice production would greatly help in rural socioeconomic development and reduce the possible famine in the continent. Despite the crop significance, African production average is considered very low.
Africa has to import more than 45 percent of its rice needs for consumption at a cost of more than $1 billion a year to satisfy local demand. With rice prices expected to double in the next couple years due to shrinking rice reserves, increasing African rice production is essential. The demand for rice had increased rapidly at the annual rate of about 6% over the past three decades because growing population, accelerated urbanization and change in the employment status in the urban areas. People tend to eat rice much more than in the past. Rice can be readily used and rapidly cooked and it can be stored over a long period of time and transported easily. Rice could thus become the crop that may enhance food security and alleviate poverty in Africa.
Japanese government paid much attention in technology development and human resources in our continent. Numerous mega projects have been established in most of the African countries for this target.
Japan's support to South-South Cooperation is the development and dissemination of New Rice for Africa, so-called NERICA.
Japan is convinced that the development and dissemination of NERICA will strengthen rice production in West Africa, thereby contributing to food security and poverty reduction as well as to saving foreign currency that is otherwise used for importing rice.
Egypt achieved a mega shift in rice production in the last decade through releasing of a series of new japonica rice cultivars with short duration as well as the production and commercialization of hybrid rice varieties. Production per unit area considered as one of the highest averages worldwide. Enhanced technology transfer system allowed direct contact between researchers and rural farmers and played a significant role in this regard. Intensive training for rice specialist extension engineers helped to enhance the rural farmer awareness and also direct training of farmers built a trust-relation between the farmer and the new technology developed by rice scientists.
Egypt also had a bright record in international training and disseminating knowledge for African rice specialists through JICA-funded 5 month training course on rice cultivation technology. More than 300 African rice specialists have been trained in the last decade. In addition, Many Egyptian rice experts conducted on-spot training in some African countries like Niger, Ghana and Sudan. Experimental farms in Niger and Sudan proved the superiority of Egyptian rice varieties as well as the RRTC package of recommendations under African Eco-system. This could be one good approach for enhancing production per unit area in the black continent.
International and regional centers for rice research will definitely strengthen the multidisciplinary networking for rice research in the continent.
With its long experience in rice research, Egypt and through this event, announces its desire and great interest to provide help and support for all African rice growing countries thought intera and inter-continental collaboration projects. The country also wishes to be as a regional training center for rice research to complement with WARDA and the sub-Saharan Africa Rice Consortium (SARC).
The main objectives of the event could be as follows:
1- Enhancing sustainable rice production in the continent
2- Ecosystem preservation
3- Intra and inter-continental collaboration
4- Enhancing socioeconomic impact of rice in particular enhancing the role of women in Africa.
5- Identifying problems facing African rice growers and suggest suitable solutions.
6- Development links between all African rice researcher and grow young rice researcher talents and acts as a forum for discussion all problems which will face rice production in Africa.