To
assist vulnerable households who have been severely affected by
soaring rice prices, the Africa Rice Center with support from the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the USA
Government’s Famine Prevention Fund facility, is spearheading a 2-year
emergency project to boost the rice
production in four West African countries – Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and
Senegal.
The project seeks to
improve farmers’ access to: (i) high quality seed of improved rice varieties;
(ii) mineral fertilizer; and (iii) best-bet rice knowledge.
It aims to assist at least 10,000 farm families,
especially vulnerable households, and raise rice production by at least 30,000
tonnes in each of the project country through increased use of high-yielding
rice varieties, improved farming methods and fertilizers.
The project is encouraging the involvement of
the private sector in each country, particularly in the area of agro-input
supply. It is also promoting community-based seed systems (CBSS).
In addition to the Africa Rice Center, the
project partners include the Catholic Relief Services (CRS), IFDC, and national
agricultural research and extension systems.
The USAID-funded rice emergency project was launched
in each of the four project countries in January 2009 – 20 January (Senegal),
23 January (Mali), 27 January (Nigeria), 30 January (Ghana). All the
stakeholders including the project partners, public and private sector
representatives and NGOs participated.
