Africa Rice Centre set to improve quality of rice across Africa

Cotonou, Benin (PANA) - Africa's Rice Centre has launched a project to improve the quality and marketing of rice produced in eight African countries, said a statement released Monday by the centre, which is based in Abomey-Calavi, Benin.

The eight countries benefiting from the project are Cameroon, Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Uganda.

The five-year project will focus on the development and evaluation of appropriate technologies for harvesting and post-harvesting to produce high-quality rice that meets the demands of the market.

The project also aims to improve household incomes through the development of new products based on rice and rice by-products.

According to experts from the centre, practices and improved processing technologies could significantly increase the overall rice production, reduce waste and post-harvest losses by 10 percent.
-0- PANA IT/ASA/IBA/CEA/VAO 20June2011