World renowned researchers have expressed confidence that rice-based Green Revolution in Africa is achievable.

But policy-makers in the continent are called upon to put in place the right policies and infrastructure to maximize the potential of rice which is expected to play a major role in lifting Africa out of hunger and poverty.

National and international research centers, the private sector and non-governmental organizations are also called upon to pool in their efforts in accelerating the Green Revolution.

Participants of the first ever Africa Rice Congress, which concluded here on Friday, have tried to bring to the attention of police-makers the importance and implications of rice research and development for their respective constituencies and countries.

The participants have hailed the outcome of such international research centers as the Africa Rice Center that has crossed African and Asian rice types to cultivate a rice line known as New Rice for Africa (NERICA).

NERICA is hailed as an innovation for Africa from Africa in that the rice variety is adapted to the harsh growing environment and low-input conditions in dry lands of Africa where farmers cannot afford irrigation, fertilizers or pesticides.

About 170 scientists, economists and policy-makers from Africa, Asia, Europe and America gathered to compare notes on the latest development of rice production.

They agreed that they had just witnessed the beginning of the NERICA revolution in Africa, especially in east Africa.

Wang Ren, a Chinese researcher who is now the deputy director of the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute, described the Africa Rice Congress as having held at a time when Africa's demand for rice is growing faster than anywhere else in the world.

The sub-Sahara African countries now have to spend billions of dollars a year to import millions of tons of rice for local consumption though the region badly needs the money to help it reduce poverty.

The sub-Sahara Africa consumes upwards of 20 million tons of rice a year while the region produces 13 million tons by itself with the remainder depending on imports.

In 2004, an import of 5.9 million tons of rice cost the sub- Sahara Africa 1.2 billion U.S. dollars.

Doctor Wang said that with the right seeds and right approaches, the sub-Sahara Africa can produce all the rice it needs for local consumption.

The Africa Rice Congress was organized by the Africa Rice Center and hosted by the Tanzanian ministry for agriculture, food and cooperatives with the support and coordination from several international institutions.

Source: Xinhua