System of Rice Intensification (SRI): Towards Improving Rice Production and Saving Water in Africa
Importance of rice to Africa
Rice is grown in 40 African countries
Over 35 million smallholder rice farmers are engaged in
rice production
The continent doesn’t produce enough rice for
consumption
Africa imports 32% of world rice, about 15 million
tons/year
Demand for rice is growing at over 6% per year
Rice consumption in sub-Saharan Africa is set to
overtake other staples (maize, cassava, sorghum and
other cereals)
Need to improve the productivity of rice at farm levels
(there is potential to achieve 15 tons/ha of rice)
view presentation here: Presentation on SRI in Africa-SCI conference, India, Dec 2022_Bancy