AfricaRice Welcomes Côte d'Ivoire's Food Crops Minister in a New Step Toward Deeper Research Collaboration

Bouaké, July 3, 2026   AfricaRice welcomed the Minister Delegate in charge of Food crops, Mr. Bernard Kini Comoé, to its research center in M'Bé for a working visit dedicated to the institution's contribution to Côte d'Ivoire's rice food sovereignty.

The delegation, accompanied by Mrs. Traoré Fatoumata, Deputy Mayor of Bouaké, Professor Abdourahamane Sangare, Director General of the National Center for Agronomic Research (CNRA) and Dr. Yacouba Dembele, Director General of the Agency for the Development of the Rice Sector (ADERIZ), was received by the Director General of AfricaRice, Dr. Baboucarr Manneh, who welcomed a visit "honoring the institution" and illustrating the importance given by the Ivorian Government to the development of the agricultural research.

Concrete innovations for Ivorian rice cultivation

AfricaRice presented to the Minister several of its flagship projects: Smart Valley, RIZAO, REWARD, as well as its advances in pre-basic seeds, multi-harvest seeds and rice-fish farming. All these innovations have been developed with the National Center for Agronomic Research (CNRA), ADERIZ and its other partners to reduce the country's dependence on rice imports.

Strengthened collaboration with the Ministry

Discussions with the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Food crops focused on priority levers to accelerate national rice production: dissemination of first-generation seeds, intensification of varietal trials, transfer of technological innovations, training of rice cultivation and ANADER stakeholders, and search for joint financing.

The two parties also prepared for the upcoming signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between REWARD Côte d'Ivoire and REWARD-AfricaRice, a key step to consolidate their partnership.

LARACI: $50 million for climate resilience

The Director-General took the opportunity to announce major funding: the recent signing of a $50 million contract with the Green Climate Fund for the LARACI project, dedicated to sustainable land management and climate resilience of agri-food systems in Côte d'Ivoire.

Carried out with the Ivorian Government, FIRCA and CGIAR, this project will support 147,000 smallholder producers and restore 110,600 hectares of land. AfricaRice is piloting the rice component through the Intensive Rice Farming System (SRI).

Immersion in the research station

Visit to the grain quality laboratory

Visit to the gene bank 

The visit ended with the discovery of the M'Bé station: grain quality laboratory, gene bank, symbolic planting of a tree and farmer demonstration on a Smart Valley plot.

"A true temple of rice research in Africa" 

At the end of his visit, the Minister Delegate praised the work of AfricaRice, which he described as "a true temple of rice research in Africa". He reaffirmed the Ministry's willingness to strengthen this strategic partnership, in the service of the National Strategy for the Development of Rice Cultivation (SNDR 2026-2030) and the National Development Plan (PND 2030).

This visit confirms the solidity of the partnership between AfricaRice and the Ivorian authorities, resolutely focused on national and continental rice self-sufficiency.