First ASARECA General Assembly

AfricaRice participated in the exhibition showcasing agricultural research, extension, education, training and development work under the theme ‘Feeding Our Region in the 21st Century’ as part of the First General Assembly of the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) held in Entebbe, Uganda, 14–16 December.

Over 350 agricultural researchers

Data collection and analysis training course

A training course on ‘Data collection and analysis’ was
organized in collaboration with national programs participating in the Africa
Rice Breeding Task Force, 12–16 December, in Cotonou, to help rice researchers
adopt good principles of data collection and management, improve the quality
and quantity of their research publications and conduct statistical analyses.
The course targeted

Workshop on National and Regional Variety Catalogs

A workshop on ‘Varietal release and national and regional
variety catalogs’ was held, 15–16 December, in Cotonou, to raise awareness of
rice breeders involved in the Africa Rice Breeding Task Force on issues
relating to variety testing, characterization, releases, cataloguing and
maintenance; breeder/foundation seed production; and harmonization of
descriptors. Presentations on the current

First ASARECA General Assembly

AfricaRice
participated in the exhibition showcasing agricultural research, extension,
education, training and development work under the theme ‘Feeding Our Region in
the 21st Century’ as part of the First General Assembly of the Association for
Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA)
held in Entebbe, Uganda, 14–16 December.



Over 350
agricultural

Improving rice postharvest handling, marketing and development of new rice-based products

The inaugural
meeting of the Project Steering Committee of the CIDA-funded project on ‘Enhancing
food security in Africa through the improvement of rice post-harvest handling,
marketing and the development of new rice-based products’ was held in Cotonou
on 15 December.



The meeting
was attended by 14 participants representing CIDA, AfricaRice, the Commission
de la communauté économique et

Youth Employment Program in Mali

Youth Employment Program in Mali In view of AfricaRice’s new emphasis on improved postharvest technologies, which will help open up opportunities for local households to raise their incomes by promoting the development of new rice-based products, the Center was invited by  the Government of Mali to showcase its work at the country’s National Youth Employment Program 13–15 December.

The

Training course in grain quality evaluation

A basic
course in rice grain quality evaluation was conducted from 7 to 9 December for
English-speaking countries and from 12 to 14 December for French-speaking
countries in Cotonou. Participants from 12 countries involved in the STRASA
project attended. The course, which included both theory and practical
sessions, offered an opportunity for the participants to learn about the basics
of

The case for an affordable locally adapted combine-harvester

Harvesting and threshing of paddy are serious bottlenecks for rice farmers. Large combine-harvesters are ill adapted to the rice fields of smallholders. Consequently, paddy may sit in the field for weeks or even months waiting to be harvested or threshed, during which time its quality deteriorates because of exposure to the elements.
As a result, many rice farmers resort to manual

Le cas d’une moissonneuse-batteuse adaptée et accessible localement

La récolte et le battage du paddy constituent de sérieuses contraintes pour les riziculteurs. Les grandes moissonneuses-batteuses sont inadaptées aux petites exploitations des paysans. Par conséquent, le paddy peut rester au champ pendant des semaines avant d’être récolté ou battu, pendant ce temps sa qualité se détériore du fait de l’exposition aux aléas climatiques.

Ainsi, de nombreux

Mise en place des Groupes d’action à l’échelle du continent africain en vue d’accélérer la livraison de technologies rizicoles

Les experts riz nationaux et internationaux d’Afrique se sont réunis pour mettre en place des Groupes d’action à l’échelle du continent dans les domaines thématiques importants du secteur rizicole en vue de stimuler la livraison de technologies améliorées.


Se focalisant sur cinq thèmes – (1) sélection, (2) agronomie, (3) post-récolte & valorisation, (4) politique, et (5) genre – les Groupes

Training on experimental auctions held in Kampala

A training
course on experimental auctions, financed by CIDA, was organized by AfricaRice
and the National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI) Cereals Program of
the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) in Kampala, Uganda from
4 to 9 December. One facilitator and eight trainees from eight organizations
were trained. The trainees came from organizations in Cameroon, Gambia

Enhancing smallholder access to improved rice technologies in West and Central Africa

The phase 1 of the IFAD-funded project ‘Enhancing Smallholder
Access to NERICA for Alleviating Rural Poverty in West and Central Africa’ came
to an end in December after 4 years of activities. A final workshop was held, 6–8
December, in Cotonou, to enable the regional project coordinator and national
project coordinators from Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea and Sierra Leone
to discuss the

African Development Bank meeting

On behalf of AfricaRice, DDG Marco Wopereis
participated in a meeting with the Operations and Development Effectiveness
Committee (CODE) of the Board of AfDB in Tunis, Tunisia, on 1 December, to
answer questions regarding the SARD-SC project. About 20 members of the board
attended. Also present in this meeting were: Monty P. Jones (FARA), Jonathan
Wadsworth (Fund Office), Lystra Antoine (Fund

Workshop on sawah technology for sub-Saharan Africa

A workshop, entitled
‘Improving and sustaining rice production under changing climatic conditions’,
was organized, 22–24 November, in Kumasi, Ghana, to showcase the principles and
practices of the sawah technology.
The technology was developed by Prof. Toshiyuki Wakatsuki of the Kinki
University, Japan, to improve soil and water management, irrigation and
fertilizer efficiency to increase rice

AfricaRice Scientist wins 2011 Japan International Award for Young Researchers

Dr. Jonne Rodenburg, Agronomist with special focus on weed science at the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) has won the 2011 Japan International Award for Young Agricultural Researchers for spearheading the development of integrated weed management strategies for resource-poor rice farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

The Japan International Award for Young Agricultural Researchers recognizes

Un chercheur d’AfricaRice remporte le prix international japonais 2011 des jeunes chercheurs

Dr Jonne Rodenburg, malherbologue au Centre du riz pour l’Afrique (AfricaRice), a remporté le Prix international japonais des jeunes chercheurs agricoles pour avoir contribué au développement de stratégies intégrées de gestion des adventices pour les riziculteurs pauvres d’Afrique subsaharienne (ASS).

Le prix international japonais des jeunes chercheurs agricoles récompense des performances

Launch of Africa Rice Agronomy Task Force and Rice Processing and Value Addition Task Force

The Rice Agronomy and Rice
Processing and Value Addition Task Forces were launched at AfricaRice temporary
headquarters in Cotonou, 15–18 November. The launch
workshop was attended by participants from 14 African countries. Issues
relating to mechanization are dealt within these two Task Forces.



By end 2011,
all of the Task Forces proposed in the Strategic Plan had become operational, with

Recent research on rice diseases in Africa

The recent dramatic increase in world rice prices drastically affected
African countries, which are heavily dependent on rice imports. Consequently,
many African countries are trying hard to develop their largely unexploited
rice potential to boost domestic production. However, both expansion (the
development of new areas) and intensification of rice cultivation will bring
new problems, including

Les travaux récents sur les maladies du riz en Afrique

L’augmentation spectaculaire récente des prix du riz a considérablement affecté les pays africains qui dépendent fortement des importations de riz. Subséquemment, plusieurs pays africains ne ménagent aucun effort en vue de développer leur potentiel rizicole largement inexploité en vue de relancer la production locale.

Cependant, l’expansion (la mise en valeur de nouvelles superficies) et

JIRCAS 2011 International Symposium

AfricaRice DDG
Marco Wopereis, gave a key note presentation on
‘Realizing Africa’s rice promise’ during the opening of the 2011 JIRCAS
International Symposium, ‘Trends of International Rice Research and Japanese
Scientific Contribution — Support to GRiSP and CARD’, Tsukuba International
Congress Center, Epochal, Convention Hall 200, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan, 14–15
November. The workshop was

JIRCAS 2011 International Symposium

AfricaRice DDG
Marco Wopereis, gave a keynote presentation on ‘Realizing Africa’s rice
promise’ during the opening of the 2011 JIRCAS International Symposium, ‘Trends
of International Rice Research and Japanese Scientific Contribution — Support
to GRiSP and CARD’, Tsukuba International Congress Center, Epochal, Convention
Hall 200, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan, 14–15 November.



The workshop was

Africa Food and Nutrition Security Day

AfricaRice
was specially invited by the AUC to the 2011 commemoration of the Africa Food
and Nutrition Security Day (AFNSD) on 31 October, where the Director General
affirmed the Center’s full commitment to the goals of AFNSD in line with the MoU recently signed with AUC. The
2011 AFNSD was organized by the AUC and the New Partnership for Africa’s
Development (NEPAD) and co-hosted by the

Capacity building

Building the capacity of organizations and individuals so that they can carry out their work effectively and efficiently is an integral part of the majority of AfricaRice projects. For many years, the agricultural sector has been under-resourced in sub-Saharan Africa to the point that many national agricultural research systems (NARS) were aging and shrinking, because of the lack of qualified

Renforcement des capacités

Renforcer les capacités des organisations et des individus afin qu’ils mènent leurs travaux de façon efficace et efficiente fait partie intégrale de la majorité des projets d’AfricaRice. Pendant plusieurs années, le secteur agricole a été sous-financé en Afrique subsaharienne si bien que plusieurs Systèmes nationaux de recherche agricoles (SNRA) ont vieilli et vu leurs effectifs décliner, du fait

Rice experts in Africa adopt a new way of doing business for greater impact

As part of a global program on rice science that has laid out concrete and quantifiable key impacts to benefit the poor, the hungry, and the environment in the next 25 years, rice experts in Africa have adopted a more interdisciplinary and product-oriented approach in order to deliver greater development impacts.The innovative program known as the Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP) aims to

Les experts riz d’Afrique adoptent une nouvelle façon de faire les choses en vue d’un impact plus grand

Dans le cadre d’un programme mondial sur la science rizicole qui s’est fixé pour objectif d’avoir d’importants impacts concrets et quantifiables susceptibles de profiter aux pauvres, aux affamés et à l’environnement au cours des 25 prochaines années, les chercheurs riz d’Afrique ont adopté des approches de recherche interdisciplinaire finalisée en vue d’un impact plus grand.Le programme

Rice policy workshop

A workshop on the ‘Competitiveness of rice value chains after the rice crisis: Lessons from case studies’ was organized, on 25–26 September, as a side event after the 40th anniversary celebration in Banjul. Eighteen participants attended — representatives of national agricultural research programs and national statistical services from 11 countries, private sector, the African Union and

AfricaRice 40th anniversary celebration

To coincide with the CoM, the Center’s 40th anniversary was celebrated in Banjul, Gambia on 24 September, under the theme ‘40 years of rice research at the service of Africa’. It was fitting that the anniversary was commemorated in Gambia — one of the founding members of the Association and one of the main supporters of local rice on the continent.

AfricaRice’s celebration was inaugurated by

28th Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers

The 28th Ordinary Session of the AfricaRice
Council of Ministers (CoM) was held in Banjul chaired by Gambia, on 22 and 23
September. The opening message of the President of Gambia, delivered by the
Secretary General, recognized that AfricaRice has been relentless in its
advocacy for support to the rice sector in sub-Saharan Africa.



Recognizing that international public goods,
such as

AfricaRice Science Week and GRiSP-Africa Science Forum

GRiSP aims to mobilize the very best of the world’s
rice science and involve the widest possible range of stakeholders in the
technology generation and dissemination process to address, among others,
Africa’s major rice-development challenges.



The GRiSP-Africa Science Forum, held at
AfricaRice’s temporary headquarters in Cotonou, from 12 to 16 September, was
attended by over 100

Mitigating climate change impact on rice disease resistance in East Africa

Two training
workshops were held at AfricaRice, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – the first one,
15–18 August, covered rice pathology and simulation modeling techniques and the
second workshop, 19–27 August, focused on rice disease isolation and
purification techniques.



These courses were
conducted as part of the project ‘Mitigating the impact of climate change on
rice disease resistance in East

Mitigating climate change impact on rice disease resistance in East Africa

Two training workshops were held at
AfricaRice, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – the first one, 15–18 August, covered rice
pathology and simulation modeling techniques and the second, 19–27 August,
focused on rice disease isolation and purification techniques.



These courses were conducted as part of the
project ‘Mitigating the impact of climate change on rice disease resistance in
East Africa’,

Gender Task Force launched

In the wake of the
Africa-wide Rice Breeding Task Force established in 2010, the Africa Rice
Gender Task Force was launched in Cotonou on 16–18 August. The Task Force will
ensure an effective gender mainstreaming in rice research- for-development and
capacity-building activities in order to deliver gender-friendly technologies
that can improve the quality and competitiveness of locally

Gender Task Force launched

In the wake of the Africa-wide
Rice Breeding Task Force established in 2010, the Africa
Rice Gender Task Force was launched in Cotonou on 16–18 August. The Task Force
will ensure an effective gender mainstreaming in rice research-for-development
and capacity-building activities in order to deliver gender-friendly
technologies that can improve the quality and competitiveness of locally
produced

Rice that thrives on iron-rich soils

Iron is a ‘trace element’ that must be available to rice plants is very small quantities for normal growth and development. However, at high concentrations, iron is toxic to rice plants (i.e. it poisons them). Affected plants develop small brown spots that spread and merge, and finally result in reddish-colored leaves. Moreover, iron toxicity alters the plant’s root structure and development,

Du riz performant sur les sols ferreux

Le fer est un oligoélément qui doit être disponible pour les plants de riz en très petite quantité pour une croissance et un développement normal. Toutefois, à de fortes concentrations, le fer devient toxique pour les plants de riz (i.e. il les empoisonne). Les plantes touchées développent des petites taches brunes qui s’élargissent et fusionnent et donne finalement des feuilles rougeâtres. De

Burkina Faso ambassador visits Sahel Station

The Ambassador of Burkina Faso to Senegal, HE Hippolyte
Ouédrago, visited the Sahel Station on 8 August, where he had a long discussion
with station scientists. He was particularly impressed by the quality of the station’s
infrastructures in Saint-Louis. He also visited the construction of the new training
center, which will be a major asset to the Center in strengthening national
expertise

Fourth Africa Rice Outlook

A presentation on
‘Investment in rice production and expected time frames of impact’ was made by
AfricaRice at the Fourth Africa Rice Outlook, 25–27 July in Durban, South
Africa. The Africa Rice Outlook seeks to bring together the market’s biggest
rice buyers, sellers and traders. The objectives of the Fourth Africa Rice
Outlook were to:



          Examine
Africa’s rising consumption trends

Fourth Africa Rice Outlook

A
presentation on ‘Investment in rice production and expected time frames of
impact’ was made by AfricaRice at the Fourth Africa Rice Outlook, 25–27 July in
Durban, South Africa. The Africa Rice Outlook seeks to bring together the
market’s biggest rice buyers, sellers and traders.



The
objectives of the Fourth Africa Rice Outlook were to:



·        

Egyptian–Africa Forum on Seed Industry and Biotechnology

AfricaRice took an
active part in the Egyptian– Africa Forum on Seed Industry and Agricultural
Biotechnology, presenting its work in both these areas. The main objectives of
this Forum, held in Alexandria, Egypt on 24–26 July, were to find ways to:



         Enhance
the seed industry in Africa
         Increase
collaboration both within and between the seed industry and agricultural

Egyptian–Africa Forum on Seed Industry and Biotechnology

AfricaRice
took an active part in the Egyptian–Africa Forum on Seed Industry and
Agricultural Biotechnology, presenting its work in both these areas. The main
objectives of this Forum, held in Alexandria, Egypt on 24–26 July, were to find
ways to:



·        
Enhance
the seed industry in Africa

·        
Increase

African Union and AfricaRice sign MoU to promote Africa’s rice sector

In recognition of
the growing importance of rice as a strategic crop for food security and
poverty reduction in Africa, the African Union Commission (AUC) and AfricaRice
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly promote the rice sector
in the continent through research, development, supportive policies and
capacity building.



The MoU focuses on
three main areas:



         

L’Union africaine et AfricaRice signent un protocole d’accord pour la promotion du secteur rizicole en Afrique

Conscients de l’importance croissante du riz en tant que denrée stratégique pour la sécurité alimentaire et la réduction de la pauvreté en Afrique, la Commission de l’Union africaine et le Centre du riz pour l’Afrique (AfricaRice) ont signé un protocole d’accord (PA) en vue de la promotion conjointe du secteur rizicole sur le continent par des politiques d’accompagnement, de recherche, de

Africa’s rice stakeholders root for mechanization

Noting that lack of mechanization is seriously undermining the productivity and competitiveness of rice in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), representatives of rice stakeholders in the region met recently to develop a roadmap for sustainable mechanization of the rice sector.The stakeholders emphasized that small equipment, such as 2-wheel tractors, row seeders, mechanical threshers, small combine

Les acteurs de la riziculture en Afrique encouragent la mécanisation

Face au manque de mécanisation qui compromet sérieusement la productivité et la compétitivité du riz en Afrique subsaharienne (ASS), les représentants des acteurs rizicoles de la région se sont réunis récemment en vue de développer une feuille de route pour la mécanisation durable du secteur rizicole.Les acteurs ont insisté sur le fait que les petits équipements tels que les tracteurs à 2 roues,

Improving grain quality of local rice

 A host of interrelated production and marketing constraints hinder the expansion of local production. Though consumers in Mali and Guinea tend to prefer local rice, in many other countries domestic rice sells at a discounted price due to perceptions about its poor quality. Most of the factors that underlie this poor quality are related to post-harvest management operations, resulting in rice

Amélioration de la qualité des grains du riz local

Un ensemble de contraintes de production et de commercialisation interdépendantes entravent l’expansion de la production locale. Bien que les consommateurs au Mali et en Guinée aient tendance à préférer le riz local, dans beaucoup d’autres pays, le riz local se vend au rabais à cause de la perception selon laquelle il serait de mauvaise qualité. La plupart des facteurs qui sous-tendent cette

Field Days in the Senegal River delta

On 1–4 July, field
days were held at Matam, Podor and Boundoum, northwest Senegal, including
monitoring and evaluation by Sahel Station staff. 

AFROweeds project workshop

The annual workshop
of the AFROweeds project was held, 27–30 June in Cotonou to discuss with
project partners the progress made and future activities. It was attended by 23
participants. The AFROweeds project aims at establishing a viable
African–European weed science network, consolidating existing knowledge on weed
management by building a user-friendly web-based platform on weeds of West

AFROweeds project workshop

The annual
workshop of the AFROweeds project was held, 27–30 June in Cotonou to discuss
with project partners the progress made and future activities. It was attended
by 23 participants. The AFROweeds project aims at establishing a viable African–European
weed science network, consolidating existing knowledge on weed management by
building a user-friendly web-based platform on weeds of West

Field Day in the Senegal River middle valley

On 23 June,
the Sahel Station held a Field Day at its research farm in Fanaye, northern
Senegal, welcoming 60 participants from farmers’ associations, ISRA, Société
d’Aménagement et d’Exploitation des terres du Delta et des vallées du fleuve
Sénégal et de la Faléme (SAED), Centre National de Recherche
Agronomique et de Développement Agricole (CNRADA, Mauritania), the University of Thies,

Pioneering project launched to boost quality rice production in Africa

A pioneering project to enhance the quality and marketability of locally-produced rice through improved harvest and postharvest technologies in eight pilot countries of West and East Africa has just been launched by the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice). Describing the project as “one of the first-of-its-kind for rice in

Lancement d’un projet phare pour booster la production du riz de qualité en Afrique

Un projet phare pour améliorer la qualité et la commercialité du riz produit localement à travers des technologies améliorées de récolte et de post-récolte dans huit pays pilotes en Afrique de l’Ouest et de l’Est vient d’être lancé par le Centre du riz pour l’Afrique(AfricaRice).Selon Dr. Aliou Diagne, économiste d’AfricaRice, ce projet est parmi les premiers du genre pour la riziculture en ASS.

Rice is competitively produced in sub-Saharan Africa

Despite the potential, there was not sufficient support from national governments for the production of domestic rice in the past since it was believed to lack comparative advantage vis-à-vis imported rice, though evidence from empirical studies have repeatedly indicated that rice is competitively produced in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Le riz est produit de manière compétitive en Afrique sub-saharienne

Dans le passé, malgré le potentiel existant, il n’y avait pas suffisamment de soutien de la part des gouvernements nationaux pour la production de riz local puisqu’on croyait qu’il manquait un avantage comparatif vis-à-vis du riz importé. Cependant, les preuves issues d’études empiriques ont indiqué à plusieurs reprises que le riz est produit de manière compétitive enASS. Par exemple, sur la

Measuring and assessing the impacts of crop genetic improvement in Africa

Objective 3 of the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation- funded project ‘Diffusion and Impact of
Improved Varieties in Africa’ was launched, on 14–15 June, in Cotonou.
Objective 3 focuses on the assessment of the diffusion and adoption of improved
pearl millet, rice and sorghum varieties and their impact on poverty, food
security and selected factor productivity (land, labor and fertilizer) in

Measuring and assessing the impacts of crop genetic improvement in Africa

Objective 3 of the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation-funded project ‘Diffusion and Impact of Improved Varieties in Africa’
was launched, on 14–15 June, in Cotonou. Objective 3 focuses on the assessment
of the diffusion and adoption of improved pearl millet, rice and sorghum
varieties and their impact on poverty, food security and selected factor
productivity (land, labor and fertilizer) in Mali,

Boosting Africa’s rice sector

Most African governments have consolidated the gains in rice productivity made in 2008, after the food crisis hit the continent. This has involved a host of measures ranging from subsidy for seed and fertilizers to restoring irrigation infrastructure and establishing milling and storage structures. Despite this, Africa’s

Relancer le secteur rizicole en Afrique

La plupart des gouvernements africains ont consolidé les gains réalisés en 2008 dans la production rizicole, après que la crise alimentaire ait frappé le continent. Cela a impliqué une série de mesures allant de la subvention des semences et des engrais à la restauration des infrastructures d’irrigation et la mise en

Postharvest and policy project launching workshop

From 31 May to 2
June, AfricaRice launched its new project on food security in Africa to enhance
the quality and marketability of locally produced rice through improved harvest
and postharvest technologies, which is funded by CIDA. 

Postharvest and policy project launching workshop

From 31 May
to 2 June, AfricaRice launched its new project on food security in Africa to
enhance the quality and marketability of locally-produced rice through improved
harvest and postharvest technologies, which is funded by CIDA. 

Enough land, enough water

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has enormous potential for developing and increasing rice production. There is tremendous scope for developing rainfed lowland rice areas, augmenting the area under irrigation, and raising yield levels in farmers’ fields through diffusion and adaptation of rice technology to local conditions. The total area of land potentially suitable for crops in Africa is estimated to

Suffisamment de terres, suffisamment d’eau

L’Afrique subsaharienne (ASS) dispose d’un grand potentiel pour développer et augmenter la production rizicole. Il existe de grandes possibilités pour mettre en valeur les zones de bas-fonds rizicoles, augmenter la superficie irriguée et accroître les rendements dans les champs des paysans par la diffusion et l’adaptation des technologies rizicoles aux conditions locales. La superficie totale de

Côte d’Ivoire President’s Inauguration Ceremony

In view of AfricaRice’s historical ties with Côte d’Ivoire,
which is its permanent headquarters, the Director General and the AfricaRice
Country Representative were invited by the Ministry of Scientific Research and
Technology to the inauguration ceremony of the new President in Yamoussoukro on
21 May.



The ceremony was attended by more than 20 heads of state,
representatives from many

L’Afrique a besoin d’une forte recherche agricole

A notre avis, l’Afrique a besoin d’une forte recherche agricole pour produire des technologies adaptées aux conditions africaines. Pour ce qui est de l’investissement dans la recherche agricole, il s’impose car l’Afrique ne contribue que 0,3% au capital des résultats scientifiques du monde. Même si l’Afrique ne compte que

Africa needs strong agricultural research

We believe that Africa needs strong agricultural research to produce technologies adapted to African conditions. Increased investment in African agricultural research is necessary because Africa contributes only 0.3% of the world’s scientific results. Although there are only 70 researchers per million inhabitants in

Africa Rice Breeding Task Force annual meeting

The annual meeting
of the Africa Rice Breeding Task Force was held, 12–13 May, in Cotonou to
review progress made in the first year and discuss plans for 2011. The 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.


It adopts a
systematic collaborative

Africa Rice Breeding Task Force annual meeting

The annual meeting of the Africa Rice Breeding Task Force was
held, 12–13 May, in Cotonou to review progress made in the first year and
discuss plans for 2011. The 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. It adopts a
systematic collaborative approach

Second phase of the Africa component of STRASA launched

The Africa component of the STRASA project Phase 2 was launched at AfricaRice in Cotonou, on 9–10 May, with nearly 50 participants attending. These included AfricaRice and IRRI scientists as well as project partners from national programs, seed producers and NGOs from 18 African countries. The achievements of Phase 1 were reviewed and work plans for 2011 were presented. The program also

Agricultural experts push for a strong seed sector in West Africa

Underlining that seed security is a prerequisite for
achieving food security, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO) and AfricaRice convened a ‘Regional
workshop on seed policy in West Africa’ in Cotonou, Benin on 5 and 6 May. The workshop was inaugurated by
HE Michel Sogbossi, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Benin.



The workshop was attended by

The CGIAR–Canada Linkage Fund end-of-project workshop

At the end of a 3-year project ‘Improving rice processing strategies for
food security in West Africa’, a workshop was held on 26 April, in Cotonou. The
project was carried out in Benin and Nigeria jointly with the McGill
University, Montreal with support from Canadian International Development
Agency (CIDA) through the CGIAR–Canada Linkage Fund (CCLF). It focused on
postharvest operations,

Second International Dakar Agricultural Forum

At the Second
AfricaRice Dakar International Agriculture Forum (18–19 April), the Director
General presented strategic inputs to
the discussion on the role of agricultural innovation in the context of food
security, and AfricaRice scientists participated in a debate on global
agricultural regulations and governance in the context of the high and volatile
agricultural commodity prices of 2007–

STRASA II launched

The second phase of the ambitious Stress
Tolerant Rice for Poor Farmers in Africa and South Asia (STRASA) project was
launched at workshops in New Delhi, India (5–8 April) and Dhaka, Bangladesh (8–12
April). The New Delhi workshop was followed by a project coordinators’ meeting.
Both workshops included a presentation of the achievements of STRASA phase I in
Africa.

Communicating weed management strategies

AfricaRice scientists and their national partners are collaborating to find socially and economically acceptable and effective weed management options for inland valleys, which have high potential of rice production in West Africa.

They are studying farmers’ knowledge of weed problems and mitigation methods. Using participatory approaches they are also optimizing crop establishment methods with

Communication des stratégies de gestion des adventices

Les chercheurs d’AfricaRice et ceux des SNRA collaborent pour trouver des options de gestion des adventices qui soient socialement et économiquement acceptables et efficaces pour les bas-fonds, qui ont un potentiel élevé de production rizicole en Afrique de l’Ouest.

Ils étudient la connaissance des paysans en matière d’infestation des adventices et de méthodes de lutte. En utilisant les

JIRCAS visit

Three scientists from the Japan International
Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) visited the Sahel Station with
AfricaRice program leader for Genetic Diversity and Improvement, Takashi Kumashiro,
on 21–22 March to discuss areas of collaboration — marker-assisted selection
(MAS) for shattering, blast and cold tolerance, and capacity-building involving
scientific exchange visits,

Entretien avec le Dr Marco Wopereis sur Le partenariat mondial de la science rizicole (GRiSP)

1) Pour quoi est-il si important d’avoir un vaste programme mondial de recherche sur le riz ?Le riz est la culture vivrière la plus importante du monde en développement et l’aliment de base pour plus de la moitié de la population mondiale dont une grande partie est aussi extrêmement vulnérable aux prix élevés du riz. L’augmentation des prix du riz va affecter négativement les familles pauvres et

GSR Mid-Term Review

The Green Super Rice (GSR) project underwent
its mid-term review in March. The review team included scientists from the
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and the International Rice
Research Institute (IRRI), and started its tour by visiting sites in Mozambique
and Mali from 1 to 7 March. On 10–12 March, AfricaRice hybrid-rice breeder Raafat
El-Namaky led visits to GSR project

Board approves AfricaRice lead role in GRiSP in Africa

At its 2011 meeting, held in Saint-Louis,
Senegal, 7–10 March, the Center’s Board of Trustees endorsed AfricaRice’s lead
role for the continent in the recently launched Global Rice Science Partnership
(GRiSP) that aims to contribute to significantly lowering rice prices and
reducing global poverty by more than 10%.



The Board expressed keen interest in the Center’s
new research thrusts,

Interview with Dr Marco Wopereis on Global Rice Science Partnership

1. Why is it so important to have a large global research project on rice?Rice is the most important food crop of the developing world and the staple food of more than half of the world’s population, many of whom are also extremely vulnerable to high rice prices. Increasing rice prices will adversely affect poor and low-income households who spend a larger proportion of their revenue on staple

Syngenta project planning

Two researchers from Sahel Station met with a
team from the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture from 28 February
to 5 March, visiting the main station at Ndiaye, plus research sites at Ross
Bethio, Richard Toll and Gaya in northern Senegal. The project-planning
workshop for Senegal was then held on 29 and 30 March.

Workshop on knowledge management

A workshop on knowledge management was held,
15–18 February, in Cotonou, Benin, on the knowledge-sharing tools promoted and
supported by the CGIAR Information and communications technology (ICT) Knowledge
Management (KM) program. A seminar on ‘How knowledge management and sharing can
help research’ was organized as part of this workshop.

RISOCAS end-of-project workshop

The international conference on Crop Improvement, Ideotyping and Modelling for African Cropping Systems under Climate Change (CIMAC) was held, 7–9 February, in the University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany, to mark the end of the project on ‘Rice and sorghum crop adaptation strategies for climate change in Africa’ (RISOCAS). The project partners were the University of Hohenheim (project

Regional committee for seed production, Senegal

A meeting of the regional committee for seed
production took place at the offices of the Direction régionale du développement rural
(DRDR) in Saint-Louis on 2 February. The meeting discussed seed multiplication
of the three aromatic rice varieties released in Senegal in 2009 (Sahel 177,
Sahel 328, Sahel 239). Three certified seed producers are involved with the
program.

Fast-tracking farmers’ access to research innovation

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the time-lag between the development and the official release of a variety can be as long as 14 years due to the lack of functional variety release systems in most countries. Stakeholders have long urged for a change in this inefficient system, which limits farmers’ access to new varieties.

Involving farmers in testing improved varieties, known as participatory

Accès accéléré des paysans aux innovations de la recherche

En Afrique subsaharienne (ASS), le temps qui s’écoule entre le développement et l’homologation officielle d’une variété peut prendre 14 années à cause de l’absence de systèmes fonctionnels d’homologation variétale dans la plupart des pays. Les acteurs ont longtemps plaidé en faveur d’un changement de ce système inefficace, qui limite l’accès des paysans aux nouvelles variétés.

L’implication des

CAADP Pillar 4 Workshop

AfricaRice contributed to the discussion on
the implications of CGIAR reform for investment in research for development in
Africa at the workshop ‘Investing in a knowledge and information base for African
agriculture: A workshop for CAADP Pillar 4 institutions and development
partners to discuss mobilization and harmonization of support for Pillar 4
initiatives’, held in Zurich, Switzerland

Harvest field day in Liberia

A harvest field day was held in Saclepea,
Nimba County, Liberia on 22 January to harvest rice planted under the South–South
Cooperation Project funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The field day was attended by Dr Sizi Subah (Deputy Minister), Paul Jallah
(Assistant Minister), the City Mayor of Saclepea, all the South–South
Cooperation Project farmer groups from Nimba,

New Sahelian rice varieties bred by AfricaRice and its partners released in Mali and Senegal

Three varieties
developed through collaboration between the AfricaRice Sahel Station and the
Institute d’Economie Rurale (IER) Mali have been released in Diré in the
Tombouctou Region of Mali. WAS 62 (WAS 62-B-B-14-1-4-2), WAS 49 (WAS 49-B-
B-9-1-4-3) and WAS 197 (WAS 197-B-6-3-11) were selected through the
participatory varietal selection (PVS) approach.



The varieties were
released at a

New Sahelian rice varieties bred by AfricaRice and its partners released in Mali and Senegal

Three varieties developed through
collaboration between the AfricaRice Sahel Station and the Institute d’Economie Rurale
(IER) Mali have been released in Diré in the Tombouctou Region of Mali. WAS 62
(WAS 62-B-B-14-1-4-2), WAS 49 (WAS 49-B-B-9-1-4-3) and WAS 197 (WAS
197-B-6-3-11) were selected through the participatory varietal selection (PVS)
approach. The varieties were released at a