EAC Rice Development Strategy (ERDS), May 2022
CARD Working Week for formulating East African Community (EAC) Regional Rice Development Strategy (ERDS) on 2-6 May 2022
Rice has become the second most important cereal crop (after maize) in terms of consumption in East African Community (EAC). Current list of partner states of the EAC includes Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (recently acceded, but its full membership is not yet ratified), Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and Tanzania. With technical and financial assistance from the CARD initiative (phase 2; 2019-2030); all these partner states, except South Sudan (non-member of CARD), have either already developed or in the process of formulating their National Rice Development Strategy (NRDS). Besides NRDS, CARD’s second phase has laid emphasis on supporting regional blocs in developing strategies for rice sector development. Through partnerships with EAC Secretariat and CARI-EA/Kilimo Trust; CARD intends to support EAC Rice Development Strategy (ERDS).
In February 2020, EAC Secretariat in collaboration with CARI-EA/Kilimo Trust launched an EAC Regional Rice Platform (ERP). Through partnerships with EAC and CARI/Kilimo Trust’s regional rice project; CARD conducted several meetings online and discussed roadmap for developing ERDS with EAC Secretariat and Kilimo Trust. Although face-to-face meetings could not be organized with ERP members due to COVID-19 pandemic, CARD has been providing technical assistance online through which partner states were able to analyze and validate Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) faced by their respective rice sectors through online mode.
Following relaxation of COVID-19 related guidelines for workshops and meetings; CARD Secretariat had decided to provide technical and financial support to EAC in reviving the ERDS process, by organizing a working week (WW). Subsequently, CARD Secretariat in collaboration with EAC Secretariat organized a WW for ERP members and NRDS focal points of EAC partner states in Nairobi (Kenya). This report provides a brief summary of the proceedings and major outputs from the WW.
CARD activity and the results
The WW was organized by CARD Secretariat at Sarova PanAfric Hotel during 2-6 May, 2022. The meeting was organized in a hybrid mode. The two ERP members/representatives and/or NRDS Focal points each from Burundi, Kenya, South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania, and representatives from Kilimo Trust, EAC Secretariat and CARD Secretariat participated physically. ERP members and NRDS focal point of Rwanda and most of the invited speakers for the WW joined online. Since DRC has not yet become a full member of EAC, no representation was made for DRC at the WW.
Primary purpose of the WW was to assist the ERP members formulate ERDS. More specifically, the WW aimed to (1) reach a consensus on common sets of SWOTs for the region, (2) develop basic elements of strategic framework for ERDS, and (3) understand scopes and roles of private sector in rice production and trade in the region.
The participants first presented SWOT analyses and current status of NRDS/rice program in their countries. From the individual SWOTs of partner states, the Regional Consultants of CARD helped filter a common set of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOTEAC). After reaching a consensus on SWOTEAC, the participants formed two working groups, to identify strategic actions under ERDS. Each working group was represented by at least one representative of the 6 participating partner states.
Using SWOTEAC; the working groups identified strategic actions, by asking what needs to be done to:
i) maximize opportunities by applying strengths (working group #1),
ii) mitigate threats by using strengths (working group #1),
iii) address weaknesses using available opportunities (working group #2), and
iv) minimize weaknesses by avoiding threats (working group #2)
The identified strategic actions were presented by the leaders of the two working groups and peer-reviewed by all the participants together. Upon reaching a consensus, the participants agreed to declare the strategic actions as ‘agendas for the ERDS’. These agendas could broadly be classified under 5 categories viz.,
a) On-farm production and productivity,
b) Market competitiveness of locally produced rice,
c) Intraregional trade,
d) Policy actions, and
e) Cross-cutting actions
The consultants helped the participants design strategic objectives based on the above mentioned 5 categories of actions (strategic pillars) under the ERDS. The participants acknowledged that scope of the ERDS shall encompass ‘rice value chain and rice-based socio-economic integration’ of the EAC partner states. The participants acknowledged that time frame for implementing the ERDS shall be aligned to NRDS of the partner states and cycles of other CAADP/AU and EAC strategies, and hence agreed to set a period of 2022-2030.
With a vision to establish ‘a vibrant rice sector for sustainable food, nutrition and income security in the EAC region’, the participants ratified that goal of the ERDS shall be set to ‘achieve rice self-sufficiency in EAC region through sustainable production, enhanced competitiveness, and improved intraregional trade’. Guiding principles of ERDS and its implementation shall require that (a) all partner states benefit from strategic interventions through mutual understanding and cooperation, and (b) ERDS should reinforce and complement NRDS of all partner states.
The participants listened to several presentations made by private sector representatives in the region on a range of topics that included farm input supply, processing, and intraregional trade. The participants also listened and discussed presentations made by experts in International Rice Research Institute, Agriculture Policy Research in Africa (APRA) and Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). Through these interactions, the participants were able to enrich their understanding on policies and practices from across the value chain in the region and regional priorities.
Way forward
Going forward, the ERP members informed that there is a need to hold at least another working week (WW-2) for completing the remaining components of the strategic framework. It shall be expected that ERDS shall be readied and approved by EAC’s Council of Ministers by the end of 2022.
