(Ecofin Agency) - While the 2015/2016 rice season has just been launched, Mali is planning for an increase of 20% in its cereal production compared to the previous season. Indeed the authorities are expecting a crop of 2.599 million tons of rice, which would be the biggest crop ever achieved by Mali for this cereal.

If these forecasts were proven correct, the country would not only reach self sufficiency, but would also end up with a surplus of 285,000 tons of rice. This performance would honour the dynamic which has been implemented to boost the field for some years now.

Second West African producer of rice after Nigeria, Mali has just injected approximately FCfa 55 billion in the supply of fertilisers to farmers, the Malian minister of Agriculture indicated.