Nigeria has overtaken Egypt as the largest producer of rice in Africa.
Director-General,Africa Rice Center, Benin Republic, Harold Roy-Macauley said Nigeria now produces 4 million tonnes a year.
Egypt was producing 4.3 tonnes annually but its production reduced by 40 percent this year as government limited cultivation to preserve water resources.
Africa produces an average of 14.6 million tonnes of rough rice annually.
Roy- Macauley stressed the African rice value chain needs to be better integrated and be capable of competing with imported rice in terms of quality.
