Support to Rice Research in Africa II

Results achieved as of June 2013 include: (i) preparatory activities to implement the project were completed in six of eight countries and baseline surveys are underway to guide activities throughout the project; (ii) Africa Rice is using cell phone applications and tablets to collect and monitor results over the Internet in all eight project countries contributing to improved data collection reporting and project monitoring; (iii) the project has developed an improved technology for rice harvesting and processing and is now planning the construction of a pilot rice processing plant; (iv) Africa Rice has begun to construct an improved rice thresher in four countries and a mini combine harvester in five countries; (v) in Nigeria the project has worked with nine fabricators to build 1 000 threshers and combine harvesters; (vi) two countries have designed and tested rice parboiling vessels and machines for making environmentally friendlier cooking briquettes using rice husk; (vii) a threshing machine that is easier for women to use was introduced in Uganda; (viii) new food products are being developed from broken rice and rice by-products (such as rice spaghetti and mushrooms in Ghana and rice biscuits in Nigeria and Cameroon); and (ix) Africa Rice's Director General met with Ministers of the eight project countries to present key research related to rice trade and import policies across the region. These results are all contributing to helping farmers processors and marketers to improve local rice production in targeted countries.