Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) The only CGIAR Research Center owned by African countries

Importance of rice in SSA

• Fastest growing food staple: Demand growing at > 6% per year – faster than

any other food staple

• Strategic for food security: Most important energy source in West Africa and

Madagascar and 2nd most important in Africa

• Impact on economies: Local production covers about 60% of demand (imports

per year at >US$ 5 billion)

• Important for women: Main labor force in SSA’s rainfed ecologies (sowing to

processing and marketing)

• Viable career for youth: The rice sector

can employ many of the 17 million young

people who enter SSA’s job market

every year

• Huge potential: Africa has resources to

produce enough quality rice to feed itself

and to export

AfricaRice member states

• 26 Member States

• Headquarters: Côte d’Ivoire

• AfricaRice and partners have developed

a strategic plan (2011-2020) to boost

rice production in SSA

• This plan was approved by AfricaRice

Council of Ministers in 2011.

• The Strategic Plan is being implemented

with many partners across the research

to development continuum.

• Vision: increase rice self-sufficiency

ratio to almost 90% in 2020 leading to a

reduction in imports of about 5 million t

per year

AfricaRice 2011-2020 Strategic Plan

Implementation mechanisms: rice task forces, hubs and

innovation platforms (IP) approaches

Scalable innovations along

the rice value chain

• Holds the largest collection of African rice in

the world -- with over 20,000 accessions

• Two cultivated rice species (Oryza sativa

and O. glaberrima)

• Five African uncultivated (wild) rice species

(O. longistaminata, O. barthii, O. punctata,

O. brachyantha and O. eichingeri)

• Genebank being upgraded to world-class

standards at AfricaRice headquarters in

M’bé, Côte d’Ivoire; plans underway to

transform it into the ‘Africa rice biodiversity

center’

• ‘Safety duplicates’ material in long-term

mega-stores in NCGRP, Fort Collins,

Colorado, and in the Svalbard Global Seed

Vault, Norway

AfricaRice genebank

Varieties developed by AfricaRice and its partners

> 200 improved rice varieties released in last 30 years in

Africa:

• High-performing and climate-smart ‘Advanced rice for

Africa (ARICA)’ varieties

• Popular ‘New rice for Africa (NERICA)’ varieties: grown

on about 1.7 million ha across SSA. NERICA adoption

has lifted 8 million people out of poverty in 16 countries

• High-yielding ‘Sahel’ varieties for irrigated ecologies:

Present value of net benefits of Sahel adoption $ 24.6

million

• Hybrids: More than 50 hybrids developed by AfricaRice

show 15-20% yield advantage compared with inbred

check. Two hybrids selected for release in Senegal in

2017. New set of hybrids being tested in several

countries..

• Aromatic varieties: ‘ORYLUX’ series

Good agricultural practices (GAP)

basket development Intervention Typical farmers’ practice

and problems

GAP component

Variety choice Old varieties New varieties

Land preparation Not bunded, not well leveled Bunding & leveling

Sowing Random transplanting &

delayed sowing

Transplanting at optimum density,

time

Weeding Single herbicide & two hand-

weedings

Single herbicide & weeding with

mechanical weeder

Fertilizer application Very variable Site-specific nutrient management

Water management Permanent standing water Timing of drainage before

harvesting

Crop management decision support tool:

RiceAdvice

• Allows rice farmers to apply mineral fertilizer more

efficiently to optimize production and profits and

reduce waste

• Helps rice farmers identify the best option for

fertilizers to be purchased, based on nutrient

requirement and fertilizer prices

• Farmers can increase rice yield by about 20%

and increase their profit margin by about $200

per hectare per season

Improved land and water management

Smart-valleys approach

• A low-cost, participatory and sustainable

approach to develop inland valleys for

rice-based systems

• Major advantages: increased water

retention in farmers’ fields, less risk of

fertilizer losses due to flooding and

increased rice yields

• In Togo and Benin, average rice yields

of farmers using Smart-valleys approach

more than doubled from 1.5–2 to 3.5–

4.5 t/ha

• Impact studies indicate the potential

adoption rate is 67%

Decision support: weed management

• Total rice production

losses attributable to

weeds in SSA estimated

at US$ 1.5 billion

• Tool developed for

identifying major rice

weeds of Africa

• Valuable resource for

professionals involved in

research, training and

management of rice

weeds in SSA

Mechanization

• Motorized weeders

• Threshers

• Combine harvesters

Improved rice processing - GEM rice parboiler

• An improved rice parboiling system called GEM, combined with

training and innovation platform approach is improving the livelihood

of more than 2000 rural women in Benin and Nigeria

• It is energy-efficient, shortens processing time, reduces drudgery, and

does not expose the women parboilers to heat burns

• With GEM, average monthly quantity of parboiled rice produced as

well as the average monthly income from this activity has more than

doubled

Milling machine

From production focus to value chain focus

Pioneering work on

experimental auctions and

value chain development in

Senegal

Packaging, branding and labeling

of locally produced rice for urban

and niche markets to enhance

consumer attractiveness to locally

produced rice in Glazou IP Parboiled rice “Riz Saveur” in Glazoue IP

Strengthening the capacity of rice professionals

• National agricultural research and extension staff

• Development Partners • Rice Value Chain actors

(private & public)

Integrated Rice Management Course, AfricaRice Training Center, Saint Louis, Senegal

AfricaRice post-graduate trainees and

group capacity development programs

Total number of trainees in 2015

Framework for innovation in the food sector

• The Green Innovation Center for Agriculture

and Food Sector (GICAFS) set up at

AfricaRice in Benin is using a novel

approach, centered around scaling up of

agricultural innovations and offering a range

of services to rural communities, through

youth training and employment

• 124 young professionals selected for

deployment in 173 villages in Benin >>

Innovation & business development services

to ~30,000 farmers and further learning

Making Africa’s rice sector dynamic and profitable to

attract youth

Quality rice seed

SMART-valleys approach

RiceAdvice App ASI Thresher

GEM rice Parboiler

Packaging Branding

• Africa’s rice sector offers vast opportunities

for youth entrepreneurship

• AfricaRice is integrating rural youths in

innovation platforms (IPs) with business

opportunities centered around rice

technologies and innovations along the

value chain (use of RiceAdvice app, seed

production, mechanization, processing,

marketing…)

• For example, the establishment of rice

parboiling as a business for women and

youth is a big success of IPs in Benin and

Nigeria AfricaRice’s conceptual framework to promote

youth entrepreneurship in rice value chain

Scaling up with the help of private partners

• Bringing together small-to-medium

(SMEs) seed enterprises and scientists

• Collaborating with private sector on

certified rice seed production in Mali,

Burkina Faso and Uganda

• ASI thresher manufacturing in

partnership with private sector/SME

blacksmiths in Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire,

Senegal

ATAT /ASI threshers fabricated by Hanigha Nigeria Ltd. Threshing capacity: 2.5t/h ( suitable for irrigated

rice)

Mini – ASI Thresher 800 kg/h (suitable for rainfed rice cology)

Thank you