• USA Rice promotes American rice at Casablanca seminar with nine African nations.
• Africa’s rice imports seen reaching 19.1 mln tons in 2025/26, up 23% in four years.
• US exports about 100,000 tons a year, facing stiff competition from Asia.

The United States is looking to expand its footprint in Africa’s rice market. To this end, USA Rice, the umbrella organization representing the US rice industry, held a seminar in Casablanca, Morocco, to promote American rice to buyers from nine African countries.

According to a statement released on September 10, the event brought together 60 importers and millers from Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, and Tunisia.

“The U.S. used to have strong export markets in this region but due to low pricing from Asia, these markets have shrunk.  We are, however, seeing a strong interest in high-quality, consistent rice supply from the U.S. with our strong food safety standards and no export bans,” said Eszter Somogyi, USA Rice’s director for Africa.

The renewed focus comes as Africa’s rice demand continues to climb. The US Department of Agriculture projects sub-Saharan Africa’s rice imports at 19.1 million tons in 2025/26, up 23% from 15.5 million tons in 2022/23.

Still, US rice faces tough competition from Asian suppliers, particularly India, Thailand, and Vietnam, which dominate the market. For now, US exports to Africa stand at around 100,000 tons annually, mainly destined for Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire, according to USA Rice.