Japanese and African organizations expressed determination Thursday to double the rice harvest in Africa within 10 years, saying it would help the continent in many ways, from alleviating its food crisis to bolstering the economy.
The initiative — Coalition for African Rice Development — aims to increase rice production from 14 million tons to 28 million tons by around 2017.
Kenzo Oshima, senior vice president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, which is jointly launching CARD with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, based in Kenya, said attaining the goal will be difficult but not impossible.