Newsletter, November 2025

Africa Rice Sector Update

CARD is a coalition of 32 Sub-Saharan African countries and 14 Development Partners.  We are working together to double rice production in Africa by Year 2030.

🌾SENEGAL, A COUNTRY WHERE EXCELLENCE AND AMBITION SHAPE A PROSPEROUS RICE FUTURE 

In Conversation with the National Focal Point of the Kenya National Rice Development Strategy (NRDS) Task Force team. Dr. Waly Diouf, Coordinator of the National Rice Self-Sufficiency Program (PNAR) and Focal Point of the CARD, responsible for steering “the Senegalese canoe” on the banks of rice self-sufficiency. With his insightful vision, unwavering rigor, and methodical, disciplined approach, he assesses progress and celebrates each success, helping to lead the country toward its goals. 👉 Click here to the full article

🌾 DRIVING INCLUSIVE GROWTH IN AFRICA’S RICE SECTOR

The transformation of Africa’s rice sector hinges not only on improving productivity but also on ensuring that women and youth, who form the backbone of rice production, processing, and marketing, are fully empowered to participate and benefit. A newly developed policy brief, prepared through a collaboration between AfricaRice, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), AGRA, and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in support of the CARD, outlines a compelling case for integrating gender and youth inclusion into the rice sector. 👉 Click here to the full article

🌾 UNLOCKING RICE POTENTIAL: REGIONAL/COUNTRY ACTIVITIES 

WORKING WEEK ON THE REVISION OF THE NDRS AND ITS M&E INDICATORS IN SENEGAL

In order to ensure, at the mid-term, that the NRDS is aligned with the orientations of the new authorities, in particular the establishment of community agricultural cooperatives (which should be the spearhead of agricultural policy in Senegal) and also the desire to accelerate the implementation of actions to modernize and intensify the rice sector, a workshop to review the NRDS was held from 10 to 14 November 2025. The revised NRDS 2 will cover the period from 2026 to 2030 with the objective of achieving rice self-sufficiency by 2030, i.e. a production of 3 million tons or more. 👉Click here to the full article

First Annual Rice Sector Review Meeting and Initiation of the National Rice Investment Action Plan Development Process in Sierra Leone

The first Annual Rice Sector Review Meeting (ARSRM) and preparatory meeting for the development of the National Rice Investment Action Plan (NRIAP) was hosted on the 23rd and 24th October 2025 at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) Conference Hall in Freetown, Sierra Leone with financial support from the World Bank-funded Food Systems Resilience Programme (FSRP). Technical support was provided by CARD in collaboration with ECOWAS Rice Observatory (ERO). The meeting brought together senior officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, National Rice Development Strategy (NRDS) Task Force and Sierra Leone Rice Observatory (SLeRO) members including ERO. 👉Click here to the full article

Check out all the recent developments on CARD activities. Our news includes coverage of major events and activities, programmes, and CARD engagement with its stakeholders. 👉Click here to see the news

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