[Nairobi, Kenya, February 2024]: AATF and Agri All Africa have signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate the access of hybrid rice seeds in Kenya.
Through the partnership agreement, the two organizations will undertake capacity building for various stakeholders including seed companies, agro dealers, and farmers in the hybrid rice value chain to improve the productivity of the crop in the country.
According to Dr. Canisius Kanangire, the Executive Director of AATF, the two organizations share a common concern for the welfare of resource poor smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and recognize that they can work together to help the farmers to improve their crop yields and income.
“This agreement will go along way in helping Kenyan farmers to improve their yields using new and better crop varieties. We will collaborate in rice value chain activities with the aim of achieving rice self-sufficiency in Kenya,” Dr. Kanangire noted.
Over the years, rice production has been on a downward trend leaving farmers disillusioned. This has been attributed to infestation by pests and diseases, overuse of farmlands, low input application due to rising prices and reduced water flow and dryspells.
Africa currently has a rice deficit of 16.7 million metric tons, being met through imports worth over US$7 billion, which constitutes a huge loss of the continent’s foreign exchange reserves.
Hybrid rice varieties are seen as key to bridging this gap.
According to Dr. Kayode Sani, the Rice project manager at AATF, there are several varieties including PWAN gold, AH18007, and AH18004, already rolled out to the farmers through private seed producers, national and international research institutes to establish functional African demand-driven rice value chain.
Ms. Priscilla Dimakatso, the Director of AAA in a statement stated that the farmers are going to get higher yield through the use of hybrid rice to make them more profitable and also contributing to meeting the food security objective of Kenya.
In conclusion, AATF is empowering smallholder farmers across SSA with a wide choice of agricultural innovations that generate wealth and health for their families and communities, with a vision of ensuring a prosperous and food secure Africa where millions of smallholder farmers can transform African agriculture with the same innovations that are transforming food production around the world.
########
About AATF (www.aatf-africa.org)
Founded in 2003 to address Africa’s food security prospects through agricultural technology, AATF believes that the agricultural sector is a key foundational pillar as Africa consolidates its economic growth and carves out its new position as a major global economic powerhouse and the next growth market in the world. It was formed in response to the need for an effective mechanism that would facilitate and support negotiation for technology access and delivery and formation of appropriate partnerships to manage the development & deployment of innovative technologies for use by smallholder farmers in SSA:
About Agri All Africa (Kenya) Limited (AAA)
Agri All Africa (AaA) is a renowned organization comprised of experts specializing in large-scale commercial farming, boasting an established presence in 44 African countries. Dedicated to harnessing the agricultural growth potential across the continent, AaA focuses on organizing farmers and value chains in Africa. At present, Agri All Africa Kenya Limited along with the Kenyan Government is leading the charge in what promises to be the most extensive rice project in East and Central Africa. Spanning over 20,000 hectares of rice farms, the project in Garsen, Tana River County in Kenya, encompasses fully equipped agro-processing facilities and outgrower programs.
For further information, please contact:
Mr. George Achia, Communications Officer, East and Southern Africa, AATF; G.achia@aatf-africa.org ; +254 785 334163
