Ylva, Despite the promises of the many varieties, I am yet to be convinced that home grown rice can save a country like the Gambia. The single greatest obstacle to self-sufficiency in rice is environmental (water and fertility). Our country does not have enough of that now and future does not look brighter either. Malanding Ylva Hernlund wrote: >---------- Forwarded message ---------- >Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 08:25:11 -0800 >From: [log in to unmask] >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Africa: Rice for the Future > > >Africa: Rice for the Future > >AfricaFocus Bulletin >Feb 4, 2004 (040204) >(Reposted from sources cited below) > >Editor's Note > >Only two decades ago, rice was considered a luxury food in West >Africa, comments Dr. Kanayo Nwanze of the West African Rice >Development Association (WARDA). Now it is a staple, accounting for >more than 25% of cereal consumption. Import growth has consistently >outpaced growth in production. But new rice varieties developed by >WARDA researchers give hope that Africa could rapidly increase >domestic production. > >This could save African countries millions in import costs. >Although Nigeria produces about 80% of its rapidly rising rice >consumption, imports are still growing faster than production, and >cost some $300 million a year. Other countries in West Africa and >around the continent also rely heavily on imports. > >This issue of AfricaFocus Bulletin contains a slighlty abridged >version of an article from Africa Recovery on new varieties, >developed by cross-breeding Asian and African rices [full version >is available at http://www.africafocus.org/docs04/rice0401.php]. >The NERICA (New Rice for Africa) varieties preserve adaptability to >African conditions while increasing yields or requiring large new >inputs of fertilizer or pesticide. The research program, initiated >by Sierra Leonean scientist Monty Jones, and building on >cooperation with both African and Asian research institutes, is >considered a model of successful South-South research cooperation. > >For much additional background information, see WARDA's web site at >http://www.warda.org. Other useful sources are listed at the end of >the article. The reposted article appeared in the issue of Africa >Recovery [http://www.africarecovery.org] for January 2004. > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~