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News and notes
Regional launching of the $35 million AfDB-ARI NERICA
dissemination project in West Africa, Accra, Ghana, 12
May 2005
 The
objective of this project is to help small-scale
producers in the seven pilot countries to improve rice
production and incomes through the dissemination of
NERICA varieties and complementary technology from
WARDA. About 80% of the targeted beneficiaries of the
project are the rural poor, mostly women.
The project estimates that about 33 000 farm families
will be involved in participatory variety selection (PVS)
strategy to accelerate NERICA dissemination. About 400
000 ha of additional land is expected to be under NERICA
cultivation by the 5th year of the project. The rice
import bill of the seven countries is expected to reduce
by about US$100 million.
Workshop on Policy and institutional arrangements
effects on the competitiveness of the rice sector in
West Africa, Africa Rice Center, Cotonou, Benin, 2-4 May
2004
 International
and national experts in rice policy research in West
Africa participated in an extensive brainstorming
meeting in Cotonou, Benin to develop a common strategy
to improve the impact of policy research and
institutional arrangements on the competitiveness of the
rice sector in the region.
SWIHA Regional workshop on HIV/AIDS and Agriculture:
Implications for food security in West and Central
Africa, Africa Rice Center, Cotonou, Benin, 18-20 July
2005
 The
workshop’s main objective was to put in place a
mechanism that would facilitate knowledge spillovers
across regions and rapidly increase the scale and scope
of activities and resources aimed at mitigating the
effects of HIV/AIDS on farming communities in SSA.
The workshop was attended by over 75 experts in
agricultural R&D, nutrition, health, sociology, gender
and policy with a focus on HIV/AIDS in SSA. In response
to the unanimous demand made by the participants, the
Africa Network on HIV/AIDS and Agriculture (ANEHA) was
launched to carry out priority activities using a multi-sectoral
approach.
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Steering Committee
Meeting, Participatory Adaptation and Diffusion
of Technologies for Rice-Based Systems (PADS) in
West Africa, Africa Rice Center, Cotonou Benin,
26-28 July 2005 |
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