Rice production in Africa

Rice production in Africa has grown substantially since the 1970s but remains below domestic demand on the continent. Africa imports millions of tonnes of rice each year, primarily from Asia. The continent grows both Asian rice (Oryza sativa) and the indigenous African rice (Oryza glaberrima). Major producing countries include Nigeria, Egypt, Madagascar, Ivory Coast, Mali and Tanzania. Improved varieties developed by AfricaRice (a CGIAR research centre based in Ivory Coast), such as the NERICA series (New Rice for Africa), are designed to combine the yield potential of Asian rice with the resilience of African rice in upland farming systems.