SINGAPORE - The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is set to receive US$1.4 million worth of funding from non-profit organization, Crop Trust in a partnership to ensure conservation and sharing of 136,000 varieties worldwide. The seeds, stored at IRRI’s high-tech facility in Los Baños, Philippines, will be used by scientists worldwide to develop improved rice…
KENYA - The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has opened a new regional office in the Kenyan capital Nairobi to help Africa achieve self-sufficiency and productivity in rice production. The new regional hub hosted by CGIAR center, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) will work in collaboration with AfricaRice to offer training and research services…
NIGERIA – Nigeria’s minister of agriculture and rural development, Audu Ogbeh has said that the country is looking to exit rice importation by 2020 even as state governments embark on mass production to boost food security. The federal government is committed to enhance rice production in the country with plans to become a net exporter…
TANZANIA - The government of Tanzania has suspended rice importation into the country alleging that local production in the previous agricultural season increased significantly to cater for the local demand. The Citizen quotes the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Mathew Mtigumwe saying that local production for this year doubled the demand to…
LIBERIA - A private Ghanaian firm, Abanga and Grace (A & G) Agro-Mechanical Industries and the government of Liberia have signed a memorandum of understanding to promote mechanized rice production in the country. According to an Observer report, the collaboration seeks to boost domestic rice production, enhance food security and create employment opportunities for the…
NIGERIA - Nigeria’s minister of agriculture and rural development, Audu Ogbeh has said that the country is looking to exit rice importation by 2020 even as state government’s embark on mass production to boost food security, reports the Leadership. The federal government is committed to enhance rice production in the country with plans to become…
NIGERIA - The State Government of Ebonyi has ordered the reopening of Abakaliki Rice mill which was closed due to discovery of adulterated and poisonous rice in the mill, according to This Day Nigeria. The move follows an investigation by the state government into rice millers which revealed Abakaliki was involved in the production and…
LIBERIA - The Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Liberia has started investigations into the alleged availability of fake rice (rice made from plastic) on the Liberian market. According to the NEWS, the move followed claims from social media that plastic rice was being sold in the country, prompting the ministry to contact all of…
WORLD - An international team of researchers from Spain, the United States, and the United Kingdom has successfully created a strain of genetically modified (GM) rice that will produce HIV-neutralizing proteins. According to Crop Biotech, the scientists have been developing possible treatments for people infected with HIV. Their efforts to produce a vaccine against the…
NIGERIA - The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the Anchor Borrowers' Programme (ABP) has unveiled US$2.75 million loan to local farmers in efforts to enhance the production of rice, maize, soybeans and cassava, according to an article on This Day. The first phase of the program seeks to benefit a total of 1,250 local…
