FAO grants 1.2 mln USD to support digitalization of Cote d'Ivoire's rice production

ABIDJAN, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will provide 1.2 million U.S. dollars in financial support to promote the digitalization of Cote d'Ivoire's rice sector, a FAO official said Tuesday.

The funding aims to improve Cote d'Ivoire's rice production through better organization of producers, more accurate yield monitoring, reduction of post-harvest losses, and enhanced access to climate data and markets, said FAO Representative Joseph Nyemah after meeting with Kobenan Kouassi Adjoumani, minister of agriculture and rural development of Cote d'Ivoire,

It will also support the geolocation of farmland and automation of value chain activities via digital surveillance tools, he said.

Rice is the staple food in Cote d'Ivoire, with per capita consumption averaging 84 kg per year. The country produced 1.55 million tonnes of rice in 2024, still falling short of meeting the estimated demand of between 2.5 and 2.8 million tonnes. ■