Background Information on Rice

Africa is the center of origin of one cultivated species of rice, Oryza glaberrima, which was domesticated in the northern Niger valley by Africa’s first farmers.  Oryza sativa was introduced by European explorers beginning in the 16^th century and from Indonesia, via Madagascar.  It has become the dominant species, although pockets of glaberrima production continue to exist in various parts of west Africa.  Rice ranks as Africa’s fourth most important grain crop, behind maize, sorghum and millet, and is the primary source of carbohydrates of farmers in parts of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria and Mali.  For many, if not most African rice farmers, however, rice is a secondary crop relied on as both a source of income, as a niche crop in low-lying areas of small farms, and for consumption on special occasions.

Because of its wide popularity as a food item, rice is among the most liquid of all crop assets in Africa.  Rice consumption in Africa has a high income elasticity, and increases in its projected demand in Africa are tightly linked to increased urbanization and economic growth, in part due to its ease of preparation among smaller, labor-limited households.  These patterns are most evident in west Africa, where several pockets of rapid economic growth have fueled growth in demand for rice.  Demand for rice has increased at an annual rate of 5.6% since 1962.

In spite of its status as a cash crop, rice is still very important as a source of income of very poor farmers of west Africa, especially in the inland valley swamp ecologies of the savanna zones.  In high rainfall areas of west Africa, rice and cassava are relied on as the best extractor of phosphorous on highly leached soils.

Among traditional rice farmers of west Africa and Madagascar, rice is consumed in a wide variety of forms, including porridge, as cakes, etc.  Among most consumers, however, rice is eaten in the conventional way, boiled or parboiled, and served with a relish containing fish or other animal protein.  Highest per capita rice consumption in Africa is in Guinea Bissau (112 kg/person/year), followed by Sierra Leone (88.6 kg/person/year), Guinea (73 kg/person/year) and Gabon (72 kg/person/year).  Below are shown production levels for important rice-producing countries in Africa.

Perhaps the greatest possible contribution of breeding to rice productivity in Africa would be to make high-yielding, Asiatic rice drought tolerant.  Research aimed at this goal is on-going.  A wide range of foliar diseases and chewing insects are of regional importance.  “Nerica” rices developed by WARDA through inter-specific breeding of African and Asian rices now await wide testing to determine their ability to withstand a range of biotic and abiotic stresses. 

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