Togo: The FAO launches the “Support for the promotion of the rice sector in Togo” project
The Togolese government is firmly committed to enhancing its rice sector with the launch of the project “OCOP-TOGO: Support for the Promotion of the Rice Sector in Togo” by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The official ceremony took place on Monday, December 18, 2023, in Lomé.
This strategic project supports the Togolese government’s initiatives aimed at promoting domestic rice production.
«Through this project, the Togolese government aims to ensure food and nutritional security for its population by promoting local rice production and stimulating agricultural processing industries through surpluses», explains Konlani Dindiogue, Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Rural Development.
The OCOP-TOGO project will cover areas with high rice production potential, implementing green technologies in different regions of the country.
The main objective is to support rice producers and processing cooperatives in achieving green production, processing, and marketing, while strengthening the technical and organizational capacities of industry stakeholders.
The choice of rice as the priority product for this project stems from Togo’s response to the FAO’s call, titled «One Country, One Priority Product».
Among the 28 African beneficiary countries of this initiative, Togo has committed to boosting local rice production and reducing the current national deficit of 70%. «Currently, we depend on imports for about 70% of our rice. In 2021, the national production of white rice was around 100,000 tonnes, covering only 30% of our needs. It is imperative to intensify government actions to achieve these goals», emphasizes Konlani Dindiogue.
As part of this ambitious project, industry stakeholders will highlight new rice production techniques to farmers, aiming to increase efficiency and sustainability.
Oyetunde Djiwa, program director at the FAO, underscores the significance of this effort, stating that rice is the key product enabling Togo to boost other sectors. «Togo aims to reverse its trade balance by focusing on rice production, a highly demanded product in the Togolese market», he adds.
This pilot project, running until 2025, marks a crucial step for Togo in its quest for food self-sufficiency and sustainable development of its rice sector.
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