Annan seeks support for plan to double African rice output by 2018+

TOKYO, June 3 Kyodo -
Former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan on Wednesday sought the support of
Japan and other rice-producing countries to achieve a goal of doubling rice
output in Africa by 2018, saying that sustainable production of the food would
help ease hunger and poverty in the continent.
Annan, a native of Ghana who chairs the board of the Alliance for a Green
Revolution in Africa, told a Tokyo meeting of an international network backing
the plan to double rice output that rice consumption in Africa is ''growing
faster than that of any other major staple food'' but that the continent ''has
been unable to keep up with this demand.''
''The demand for rice in sub-Saharan Africa is increasing at double the rate of
population growth. We should make a real effort to produce what we eat, and not
export what we produce and import what we eat,'' Annan said. He pointed out
that Africa imports nearly half the rice it consumes.
The former top U.N. official said rice prices have more than doubled since the
start of a global food crisis last year and the prices have not fallen
sufficiently despite the economic downturn. He called for steps to stabilize
the balance of supply and demand for the food staple.
AGRA is dedicated to helping African small-scale farmers lift themselves out of
poverty and hunger by boosting farm productivity and incomes for the poor while
safeguarding the environment.
Annan said smaller and older farmers in Africa ''need better access to improved
seeds, fertilizers and options for processing and marketing their harvests.''
''The evidence is clear that when Africa's farmers are given the chance to
increase their yields through improved seeds and small amounts of fertilizer,
they are eager to take advantage of the opportunity and they can produce
remarkable results,'' he said.
During the Tokyo International Conference on African Development in Yokohama in
May last year, Japan pledged to share its agricultural experience with Africa
and called for aiming to double rice production in a decade from the level of
14 million tons.
The multi-stakeholder network, known as the ''Coalition for African Rice
Development,'' was launched on the sidelines of the TICAD meeting.
The two-day Tokyo meeting from Wednesday was attended by representatives of 14
African nations, Asian rice-producing countries including Thailand, Vietnam and
Japan, and international organizations such as the World Food Program, the Food
and Agriculture Organization, the World Bank and the African Development Bank.
At the conference, 12 African nations presented their national rice development
strategies.
Annan appreciated the presence of Asian rice producers at the gathering, saying
cooperation between Africa and Asia ''will open new possibilities for food
security in Africa.''
Sadako Ogata, president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, also
welcomed the participation by non-African rice producers, saying it represents
''a broad-based, unique example of South-South cooperation.''
JICA is one of the major organizers that spearheaded the creation of the
coalition. JICA and AGRA signed a pact before the start of the conference to
strengthen their cooperation to promote rice development in Africa.
==Kyodo