In 1996, SG2000 began working with SNPRV, Guinea’s national extension service. Guinea asked SG2000 to help accelerate the production of rice, the nation’s staple food. Rice imports were consuming large amounts of Guinea’s scarce foreign exchanges. In no other country was rice such a dominant staple. Farmers still used slash and burn methods, moving on to new lands after several seasons.

The targets were to increase food production through the use of improved agricultural technologies; to improve fallow land through the use of Mucuna; to introduce improved rice threshing methods and maize shelling techniques, in addition to improving storage facilities; to target women’s groups for improved agricultural activities; and to strengthen the capacity of relevant national institutions.

The SG2000 project was launched with 84 farmers. Farmers as well as the extension staff were trained in the scientific methods of growing food crops. They grew half-hectare production test plots (PTPs), mostly rice and, in some places, mucuna, a green manure crop. In 1997, the programme expanded to over 1,400 farmers in 17 districts. The PTPs covered rice, maize, sorghum, soybeans, fonio, and mucuna. By 2000, the programme had over 3,900 PTPs, half of which were in rice.

To give Guinea’s farmers access to improved upland rice varieties, SG2000 and the national extension service multiplied the seed of new African & Asian inter-specific varieties developed by the West Africa Rice Development Association (WARDA). In 2001, about 500 plots of new WARDA rice varieties called "Nerica" were planted.

The quality protein maize (QPM) variety Obatanpa imported from Ghana has been widely adopted by Guinea’s farmers. In PTPs the yields of Obatanpa averaged 3.0 t/ha, compared with the national average of 1.0 t/ha. To handle larger harvests, farmers were trained to construct narrow cribs for grain storage.

Women predominate in all aspects of agriculture from land clearing through marketing and processing, so SG 2000 started working with 200 women in five groups by supplying inputs and credit. They grew vegetable crops, maize and soybeans. Between 1997 and 2001, over 1,900 women were trained to produce mucuna recipes.

During 1998, the programme expanded into 6 regions and 27 districts. Over 80t of fertilizer and 20t of improved seed were distributed in the field demonstration programme; and PTP input credit accounts were opened in those six regions. QPM was being popularized in nutritional training for women at the village level, and talks were also underway with the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries in order to link poultry and small ruminant producers with QPM growers.

Efforts were also needed to begin the development of an input distribution system that would reach down to at least the small towns, if not villages. The objective was to get fertilizers and improved seeds near the farmers’ fields.

Prior to 1995, Guinea had been importing around 300,000 t a year, but improved agricultural programmes have led to a progressive decline— down to 200,000 in 1997 and 150,000 in 1998. This reduction is a considerable achievement, especially given the serious refugee problems. Guinea’s target date for self-sufficiency is 2005.
Baba Gallé Camara, the Director of Service de promotion rural et de vulgarisation (SNPRV) said: “Guinea will arrive at self-sufficiency when all the ships in the port of Conakry that formerly carried imported rice are full of fertilizer”.

The post harvest and agro-processing technology programme received a boost with the surprise visit of President Lansana Conté to a field day. Accompanied by the Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forests, Jean Paul Saar, the President awarded certificates to graduating trainees.
In 2000, the WARDA scientists informed President Conté that Guinea’s experience in rainfed rice production could be taken as a model for other African countries. They stressed the belief that, if the rice production continued to grow at the same pace as in the last 3 years, Guinea would not only be soon self-sufficient in rice, but also able to supply seed to its neighbours.

The encouraging downward trend of rice imports into Guinea was dramatically reversed in 2001, with imports reaching 283,000 tons. “This reversal reflects the growing pressures in Guinea, including border instability with Liberia and Sierra Leone resulting in the displacement of thousands of farmers and the abandonment of their farms,” explains Tareke Berhe. “National disaster, too, made an impact, including the serious flooding in Kankan region.”

From 2002, the SG 2000 Guinea Programme was concentrating on consolidating the positive results of the past five years and further integrating programme activities within national organizations and other NGOs, to help to ensure that key activities are continued once SG leaves the country.
“In fact, the year 2002 could be described as the year of NERICA in Guinea,” says Berhe. “It has the capacity to transform rice production in Africa.”

Tareke Berhe saw capacity building as an essential part of the Phase II of the programme. “We are aiming to transfer the ownership of our programme to Guineans, but we know that this will only happen through training and technical support, allied to the strengthening of the necessary agricultural institutions.” Close cooperation was therefore developed with extension research in four of the country’s research centers, with 3 schools of agriculture, and with the University of Faranah, Guinea’s leading agricultural University.

During September 2004, Guinea celebrated the International Year of Rice with a number of high-level events and activities. “It was an extremely successful event”, says Tareke Berhe. “UNDP chartered a plane to take participants to the regions of Faranah where we visited NERICA experimental plots, production plots and post harvest and agro-processing activities. The delegation also inaugurated a model post harvest and agro-processing centre financed by SG 2000.”

The SG 2000 Guinea programme ended in 2004.