The rice sector plays an important role in food security in Burkina Faso. That's why the USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) has awarded $1 million to the seed company Neema Agricole du Faso (NAFASO) to strengthen the production of this staple crop.

While white rice consumption has increased by 15 percent per year among new regular rice consumers in West Africa, local white rice production does not cover the needs of the population in the region. The grant and private sector partnership with NAFASO will boost rice production in Burkina Faso, a critical effort to improve food security in the country. The subsidy will facilitate mechanized rice production and the availability of agricultural inputs such as seeds.