(Ecofin Agency) - The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO) said Africa’s rice production should achieve a new record in 2016, soaring 4% to 29.7 million metric tons.

Among countries that will pull the continent’s output up is Egypt where production restarted. There is also West Africa which should produce half of the forecast output, about 14.8 million metric tons (+4%). Yield increase in the region is, among other things, attributed to Senegal’s efforts to achieve self-sufficiency and Mali’s to improve access to fertilizers, mechanization, and build more infrastructures, all paired with good weather conditions. Nigeria for its part produced 5 million metric tons of paddy rice.

Let’s however indicate that Africa represents but a fraction of the global rice output which is expected this year to stand at 749.7 million metric tons.

Aaron Akinocho