APA Cotonou (Benin) Representatives of rice stakeholders in the sub-Saharan Africa region met recently in St. Louis, Senegal to develop a roadmap for the sustainable mechanization of the rice sector considering that the lack of mechanization is seriously undermining the productivity and competitiveness of rice in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), said to a press statement the Africa Rice Centre (AfricaRice) released on Wednesday.
The stakeholders emphasized that small equipment, such as 2-wheel tractors, row seeders, mechanical threshers, small combine harvesters and small mills need to be tested, and where possible manufactured locally, the release said.
“According to conservative estimates based on recent surveys in 18 countries in SSA, cutting by half the on-farm post-harvest losses through the use of improved technologies would lead to a saving of 0.9 million tons of milled rice,” said Dr. Marco Wopereis, AfricaRice Director Deputy General for Research.
“The amount of rice saved is equivalent to nearly 17% of rice imports into the region and has a real value of USD 410 million in 2011. This can help lift about 2.8 million persons in rice farming households out of poverty,” Dr. Wopereis explained.
The participants agreed that the key factors for a sustainable mechanization program include not only appropriate technologies but also sound business principles, local ownership, dealer support, government backing and local training in the use and maintenance of equipment.
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2011-07-06 10:39:37
