- Advertisement -The Africa Rice Centre (AfricaRice) and the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) have signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly promote rice productivity, strengthen food and nutrition security, and reduce poverty across Africa. This agreement brings together two of the continent’s leading agricultural institutions: AfricaRice’s world-class expertise in rice research and breeding, and AATF’s proven track record in technology diffusion smallholder farmers in 32 African countries. Dr. Baboucarr Manneh, CEO of AfricaRiceAs part of the partnership, the two organisations will work together to improve rice value chains, expand farmers’ access to improved rice varieties — including hybrids with High yield — and promote sustainable and productivity-enhancing practices from seed to market. Key areas of joint action include the production and distribution of quality seeds, good agricultural practices, mechanisation, decision-making tools for efficient use of inputs, as well as rice processing technologies. By investing in agricultural innovations, we have a unique opportunity to transform African agriculture into a powerful engine of economic growth,” said Dr. Canisius Kanangire, Executive Director of the AATF.