The South African Embassy in Rome attended the 2nd International Rice Festival in Vercelli, Italy from 11th to 13th September 2026, represented by Dr Jemina Moeng and Mr Patrick Ng’etich from the Agriculture Office of the Embassy.
The inaugural launch was attended by Her Excellency, Prime Minister Giorga Meloni, Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests, Minister Lollobrigida, the FAO Director-General, the Mayor of Vercelli and other dignitaries.
The event highlighted the origin and importance of Rice in Italy.
Vercelli is one of the areas that were the original growers of Rice in Italy and the area where the Rice Institute was founded in 1908. This Research Institute is now the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA). One of the products from rice is sour bread as seen in the picture.
• While South Africa is a net exporter of maize with yield estimates of 17.2 million tons for 2026. and a domestic consumption at 12 million tons per annum for both white and yellow maize; the opposite is true fot rice.
South Africa imports almost all the 1.1 million tons of rice needed for consumption as it lacks the climatic conditions to produce it (Mr Nyhodo 2026, NAMC). There are research efforts by the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) for domestic production.
The current process of drafting an MOU between South Africa’s ARC and the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA) of Italy might assist in addressing some of these import challenges faced by South Africa.
Engagements with both ARC and CREA have confirmed the importance of such an MOU.
Critical in the progressive development of Rice has been the cultivar(s) that requires less water, already developed by Italy, known as Sant’Andrea; currently growing in Lombardia. This can be an area for consideration by South Africa as we are the net importers of rice.