歌词
From VOA Learning English,
this is the Agriculture Report.
Researchers are developing ways
to increase rice production in Africa
as part of efforts to fight hunger.
Their work was discussed
at the African Rice Congress in Cameroon last month.
Experts say 60 percent of the thirty million tons of
rice used in Africa is imported from Asia.
They estimate that Africa spends $5 billion
on rice imports every year.
And yet the United Nations
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says
they are still rice shortages on the continent.
Rice production was reduced in some countries
after the economic crisis of the 1990s.
Samantana Mark is director general of
Cameroon's rice production company, SEMRY.
He says that with beginning of the crisis,
African countries stopped making investments
in rice production and in the marketing of rice.
Issues like climate change and extreme temperatures
have slowed rice production,
especially in areas south of the Saharan desert.
Plant disease is also a problem.
But some African researchers say
they have developed rice plants
that can grow in areas with little rain fall.
Nigerian-born Adekoya Madinat works with
the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
"With this research we try to see how much water
exactly is needed for rice production
and try to see which genes are actually recruited
during the event of droughts.
So these genes can be used to develop drought-resistant varieties
that can be plante with minimal water
and we still have very good yields and food security," said Madinat.
Delegates to the congress called for
great mechanization of African agriculture,
and they agree that investing in rice production requires a lot of money.
Robert Guei works for the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization.
He says that investments in rice production
should be a top issue for African governments
seeking to end hunger and poverty.
"African governments have to support small companies.
These people have to be encouraged
so governments have to come out with good policies
whereby these companies are subsidized.
Help them to have credits to banks and loans
so that they can produce these varieties of rice
and distribute and this is what FAO is doing now,
talking to governments to set up policies," said Guei.
Experts say that currently,
African countries produce about 12 million tons of rice per year.
And that's the Agriculture Report from VOA Learning English.