OUAGADOUGOU, June 10 (Xinhua) -- Over one hundred rice farming experts from the agriculture ministry have began training on the need for rigor in the management of rice farmers as part of efforts to reduce dependence on food aid, according to the official media.

    This five-day training will enable these officials to receive knowledge on leading rice varieties, conducting farming operations, the fight against the enemies of rice, and especially respect for the cultivation calendar, the agriculture ministry announced in a statement Monday.

    "Training on rigor in the management of rice farmers is a must if the country is to reduce dependence on imports which currently represent up to 75 percent of the needs of Burkina Faso," according to the statement.

    With the current demand estimated at 375,000 tones per year, Burkina Faso was forced to cover 75 percent of its rice needs using imports in 2006 at a cost of 40 billion CFA francs (about 96million U.S. dollars), according to government figures.

    In a bid to remedy the situation and in the face of country-wide demonstrations over the rising costs of living, this year thegovernment has made a commitment to reducing dependence on food aid, setting itself the target of producing 247,000 tones of rice locally.

    Burkina Faso's Agriculture Minister Issaka Maiga, who recently said that he was convinced that "the trend could be reversed through training rice supervisors," has promised firmness in the 2008-2009 farming season.

    "We are going to support them (the producers) through out to ensure that the cultivation calendar is respected to the letter," said the minister, stating that this is one of the things that the country must do in order to achieve its objectives in rice production.

    The rice grown in lowland represents 70 percent of the total annual production, 25 percent comes from irrigated land while the rest is drawn from upland farms, said the agriculture minister, noting that "several rice varieties, of which the most popular is Nerica, were being grown in the country."

    "Nerica, which is a cross between Asian and African rice, has the potential of giving yields that are significantly higher than the local rice and is well suited to the lowland and irrigated farms," according to Drissa Hema, a rice specialist.

    "This training is timely as farmers have already began the season following the first rains that are currently pounding the country and with a cycle of 90 days, agriculture ministry officials have their work cut out this season, said the rice specialist.