A Regional Forum on Transformation to Sustainable Agricultural Systems convened in Bamako on Monday, May 5, 2025, bringing together representatives from 13 African nations.
The forum centered on the sharing of experiences, financing mechanisms, and the institutionalization of the National System of Rice Intensification (PN-SRI) across West Africa. Participants engaged in discussions addressing the challenges and opportunities associated with intensified rice farming in the region.
Rice stands as a fundamental staple food in West Africa, with an estimated annual consumption of 20 million tons, averaging 45 to 55 kilograms per person. However, current local production levels fall short of meeting this growing demand, leading to an increasing reliance on rice imports.
Against this backdrop, the Regional Forum held in Bamako on May 5, 2025, underscored the critical role of the PN-SRI in bolstering local rice production capabilities. Mali’s Prime Minister emphasized that the PN-SRI aligns with the national Vision “Mali Kura netaasira ka ben san 2063 ma” and the National Strategy for Emergence and Sustainable Development 2024-2033, which aims to achieve a rice production target of 5.5 million tonnes by 2030, a significant increase from the current three million tonnes.
The forum assembled experts and representatives from 13 African countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Nigeria. Discussions were focused on exchanging practical experiences, exploring financing options, and strategies for the effective institutionalization of the PN-SRI throughout the West African region. Faliry Boly, President of the Rice Interprofessional Organization (IFRIZ-MALI), stressed the importance of adapting the PN-SRI to local contexts and ensuring the active involvement of all stakeholders within the rice sector to promote endogenous development. The Prime Minister also reiterated the urgent need to propose concrete short- and medium-term actions to provide support to vulnerable rice producers.
The Malian government announced its commitment to contribute 60 percent of the total funding required for the PN-SRI, amounting to 14.112 billion CFA francs. This significant financial commitment aims to mobilize the necessary resources to establish rice cultivation as a strategic pillar for achieving food sovereignty and driving broader economic development within Mali.
The regional forum on the PN-SRI served to strengthen collaboration among countries in the region, fostering a unified approach towards promoting sustainable agricultural systems and achieving the crucial goal of rice self-sufficiency in West Africa. The discussions highlighted the imperative for a concerted regional strategy to effectively address the multifaceted challenges related to the production, financing, and institutionalization of the System of Rice Intensification.
MD/ac/Sf/fss/abj/APA