Cairo: The Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation announced the conclusion of the High-Level Forum on Achieving Rice Self-Sufficiency in Africa, held in Cairo from October 7 to 9. The forum was jointly organized by the Ministry and the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), under the patronage of Agriculture Minister Alaa Farouq and in the presence of the Center’s Director General and CGIAR Regional Director, West and Central Africa Baboucarr Manneh.
According to State Information Service Egypt, the event saw high-level participation from ministers, deputy ministers, governors, and agricultural research officials from several African countries. In his remarks, Farouq stressed the importance of the forum, which provided an opportunity for participating countries to learn from Egypt’s successful experience in rice cultivation. He reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to supporting African nations in line with directives from the country’s leadership to deepen cooperation across the continent.
Farouq underscored that continental collaboration is key to achieving food security, adding that Egypt is ready to share its expertise and resources to advance sustainable development and regional integration in Africa. The forum concluded with a set of key recommendations, including strengthening cooperation in agricultural technology transfer, capacity building, and scientific research integration, improving seed systems to ensure access to high-quality, genetically pure rice varieties, and developing appropriate financing mechanisms for small-scale farmers.
It also called for the promotion of contract farming, enhanced public-private partnerships along the rice value chain, the establishment of an African rice expert network to coordinate sector development, and the adoption of a continental roadmap aligned with the African Union’s agricultural strategy. Participating officials agreed that achieving rice self-sufficiency is a strategic, shared goal for Africa and emphasized that food security is a collective responsibility that places African farmers at the core of agricultural development efforts.
They stressed the importance of continuing cooperation with AfricaRice and Egypt’s Agricultural Research Center to promote food security and sustainable growth. The forum included participation from the agriculture ministers of Egypt and Guinea-Bissau, deputy ministers from Sierra Leone and Liberia, governors from Nigeria’s Niger and Jigawa states, and representatives from the agriculture ministries of Senegal and Nigeria.
The delegates commended Egypt’s model of high-yield rice production, including the development of advanced varieties such as ‘Sakha Super 300’ and ‘Giza 183,’ and the adoption of modern irrigation methods that reduced water consumption by 30%, achieving yields of 4-5 tons per feddan, among the highest in the world.