(Ecofin Agency) - Mali’s rice output for the 2016-17 season stood at 2.81 million metric tons. This is 20% more than what the nation produced the previous season thus exceeding government’s initial forecast, Reuters reports.

The West African country indeed forecast an output of 2.71 million Mt of paddy rice this season after recording 2.33 million Mt in 2015-16. Now, the farmers’ performance provided the nation a surplus of 565,000 Mt, said Namory Diabate, an official from the national statistics office. According to him, the increase is due to good rains, greater areas dedicated to the crop, the modernization of agricultural equipment and to a good fertilizer distribution strategy.

In Mali, Africa’s second largest rice producer after Nigeria, the rice season is divided into a production phase which begins in May and ends in October, and a second phase which is the commercialization, going from October to March.

Aaron Akinocho