The regional training of trainers’ workshop on the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and Climate-Resilient Rice Production (CRRP) took end in Grand-Lahou on Friday, April 5th, 2024. Mr. YAO KOFFI Michel, Secretary General of the Prefecture, representing the Prefect of the Grand-Lahou Department, expressed his gratitude towards the OSS and the Regional Rice Specialization Center (CRS-Riz) of Mali for choosing their city for this event. He also encouraged the Master Trainers who benefited from the training to disseminate the knowledge and skills acquired during the week in their respective countries.
Mr. Nabil BEN KHATRA, OSS Executive Secretary, expressed his gratitude towards the authorities of Côte d’Ivoire for having hosted the event, highlighting his great satisfaction with the quality of the organization and all the facilities to the guests by ANADER in its excellent agricultural mechanization training center in Grand-Lahou. He also thanked Dr. Erika STYGER and Dr. Karim TRAORE, for the quality of the training and the content of the information and knowledge they transmitted to the future Master Trainers who will play a significant role in the RICOWAS project, an initiative that will contribute to achieving food security, which is one of the main pillars of state sovereignty and a crucial lever for development.
Dr. Amadou TOURE who represented the Director General of Rice Production and the Minister of State for Agriculture, Rural Development and Food Production, emphasized the importance of such regional initiatives to support strategies aimed at achieving rice self-sufficiency and ensuring food security for millions of people in the region, in a context particularly marked by climate change.
Mr. Ange LAGO, Technical Advisor to the Deputy General Director of ANADER, thanked the delegations of the 13 countries for their presence and commitment during this training, a testament to solid regional collaboration and a prosperous future for the RICOWAS initiative.
Rice production represents a strategic activity in West Africa, where rice is a staple food. The sustainability of this sector depends on the development of climate change resilient agricultural practices. Through the Adaptation Fund, the OSS mobilizes its member countries and partners in the sub-region, thus reaffirming its commitment to supporting the development and scaling of innovative production techniques that significantly reduce water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.