Photo 1:  Ratoon rice from AfricaRice agronomic experimental fields in Madagascar (Credit: AfricaRice). Madagascar is the largest rice producer in East Africa, where transplanting is the most predominant method for rice cultivation. Depending on the location, farmers grow rice once, twice, or even three times annually. Growing multiple seasons, however, usually comes with heavy workload, because it requires ploughing the fields and transplanting seedlings after each harvest.

High-Level Forum on Rice Self-Sufficiency in Africa – Cairo, 7-9 October 2025 Cairo, Egypt — The Journey to Rice Self-Sufficiency in Africa took a big leap forward at the High-Level Forum on Rice Self-Sufficiency in Africa: Peer-to-Peer Learning from Egypt's Experience , held from 7 to 9 October 2025  at the Safir Hotel in Cairo. The event was co-organized by the AfricaRice Center (AfricaRice)  and  the Agricultural Research Centre   (ARC) of Egypt and hosted by The Egypti