(Ecofin Agency) - In Nigeria, the Cross River State has announced the signing of an agreement with the company Thaï-Africa. According to the terms of this agreement, the Thai company will establish what will be the first African Rice city.

The Rice City will mainly be dedicated to the production, processing and distribution of the cereal. It will have among other things a plant nursery, a rice factory, a seed packaging centre. The rice culture will use mechanisation and irrigation to obtain optimum yields. During the signing ceremony, Professor Ben Ayade (photo), governor of Cross River State took the commitment of making his state the Nigerian leader for rice.

The installation of this city is part of the fulfillment of the rice self-sufficiency target adopted by Nigeria some years ago and which the new president wants to fulfil by 2018. The first African economy is also the main importer of rice of the continent.