The Regional Action Plan (2020 – 2025) to Accelerate the ECOWAS Rice Offensive is an international sectoral plan. Its main objectives are policy and regulatory measures to render the rice sector competitive; finance and Public Private Partnership (PPP) mechanism; knowledge sharing and management (including digitization for an improved regional value chains (RVC) in the region); efficient trade and marketing systems along the rice value chain in West Africa; coordination of national inter-professional organizations, and coordination and management of the action plan. More specifically, the Action Plan provides to support the effective operationalization of rice policies and strategies at the national level; support the implementation of the existing agricultural inputs regulations adopted by the countries for the rice sector; initiate, develop and implement additional regulations to boost the RVC in West Africa; support and promote policy incentives measures; encourage and support the development of sustainable PPP within the rice value chain; facilitate and encourage a more conducive investment environment (e.g. tax reduction on agricultural inputs and access to agri-inputs, notably fertilizers and pesticides) for the rice sector to thrive; promote successful finance and incentive models in the region; establish financial resource mobilization system and contribution from partners and stakeholders; support access to bank finance and credit by rice farmers and the private sector; establish or strengthen regional rice-based knowledge sharing and management system; promote and disseminate knowledge management tools (e-learning, agric-digital, training of trainers, books etc.; success stories of research, innovation, technologies, and extension services); promote climate-smart agricultural practice to boost rice production and productivity; strengthen the extension system to disseminate productivity boosting technologies and efficient post-harvest practices; review the common external tariff on rice to the 35% band and oversee its effective implementation in the Member States; harmonize safeguard measures (tariff and non-tariff barriers); support the establishment of a sub-regional Rice Commodity Exchange System; support, develop and promote rice trade tools and mechanisms to facilitate cross border cooperation among the ECOWAS Member States; support and promote market information system (agriculture is business); support the establishment and coordination of national and regional inter-professional organizations; promote best practices and successful models for clustering of farmers; support better involvement and empowerment of women and youth in the rice sector; coordinate the implementation of the new rice action plan; mapping of the projects, programmes and initiatives in the rice sector for better coordination, prevention of overlapping of functions and foster synergy; organize regular meetings for coordination of the various ongoing projects; and strengthen the monitoring and evaluation system.
2020-12-01