Uganda produces more rice
Nov 03, 2008
RICE production in Uganda has increased from 50,000 to 170,000 tonnes per annum. This has made the country reduce rice imports from 60,000 metric tones in 2005 to 35,000 tonnes in 2007, saving about $30m in the process and improving food security.
By Jophn Kasozi
RICE production in Uganda has increased from 50,000 to 170,000 tonnes per annum. This has made the country reduce rice imports from 60,000 metric tones in 2005 to 35,000 tonnes in 2007, saving about $30m in the process and improving food security, the state minister for fisheries, Fred Mukisa, has said.
Speaking yesterday at the opening of the five-day regional workshop on rice and aquaculture (fish farming) at Hotel Africana in Kampala, Mukisa noted that paddy rice culture was becoming popular, especially in eastern Uganda, with about 37,020sq.km and a population of 6.42 million.
The workshop is being attended by delegates from Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanaziana and Uganda.
“But most of these wetlands are still under extensive cultivation with poor and inefficient methods by small-scale farmers depending in flooded fields,†Mukisa said.
As a result, he said, the Government requested the Japanese government to study paddy rice cultivation in 10 districts in eastern Uganda in accordance with the Plan for Modernisation of Agriculture.
“The Japanese government supported the implementation of the study on poverty eradication through a sustainable irrigation rice project in November 2003 to March 2007,†said Mukisa.
In March 2004, President Yoweri Museveni lauched the Upland Rice (NERICA) Project. Since then, rice farming in Uganda has grown from 4,000 farmers in 2004 to over 35,000 in 2007.
Mukisa explained that this was achieved through the transfer of irrigation and paddy rice production skills to farmers’ groups in the four pilot sites.
“The initiative was also largely aimed at protecting Uganda’s fragile wetlands by providing a crop that grows on dry land and still makes commendable incomes,†he added.
Uganda again asked Japan for a technical cooperation project to promote irrigation and rice production in 22 districts.
Japan gave Uganda a grant of $1.3m in 2006 and $1.5 in 2008 for rice production. The funds are administered by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
The FAO representative in Uganda, Percy Misika, said the world consumption of rice is increasing on average by 1% per annum yet productivity was going up by only 0.5%.
“This accumulative gap created over the 10 years has now caused a “rice crisis,†said Misika.
He added that an average Ugandan consumes 10kg annually, compared to 3kg 10 years ago, despite a kilogramme of rice going for $1.26, up from $0.6 a year ago.
Mukisa said trice gaining more importance in staple diets in east and central Africa and the annual per capita consumption had reached 15kg.
“The rice revolution comes at a time when the demand for rice in Africa is growing faster than anywhere in the world, at about 6% per annum,†he said.
Kazuo Haraguchi, the Japanese deputy director-general for environment and international affairs, said: “We give the highest importance to rice production in agriculture cooperation in African countries. Rice is the third largest crop in Africa, next to maize and cassava.â€
He said African countries import 7m tones of rice per annum. “If the self-sufficiency ratio of rice would increase, Africa could save the cost for food import and spend more money for other purposes.â€
Haraguchi added that the unit production of rice is higher than that of other crops and its production is rather stable particularly in paddy fields were rice can be produced repeatedly thus achieving sustainable agricultiure.
“Asian countries have achieved “Green Revolutionâ€. Certainly, African countries can also achieve it and be food self-sufficient. We will support your efforts,†he said.
RICE production in Uganda has increased from 50,000 to 170,000 tonnes per annum. This has made the country reduce rice imports from 60,000 metric tones in 2005 to 35,000 tonnes in 2007, saving about $30m in the process and improving food security, the state minister for fisheries, Fred Mukisa, has said.
Speaking yesterday at the opening of the five-day regional workshop on rice and aquaculture (fish farming) at Hotel Africana in Kampala, Mukisa noted that paddy rice culture was becoming popular, especially in eastern Uganda, with about 37,020sq.km and a population of 6.42 million.
The workshop is being attended by delegates from Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanaziana and Uganda.
“But most of these wetlands are still under extensive cultivation with poor and inefficient methods by small-scale farmers depending in flooded fields,†Mukisa said.
As a result, he said, the Government requested the Japanese government to study paddy rice cultivation in 10 districts in eastern Uganda in accordance with the Plan for Modernisation of Agriculture.
“The Japanese government supported the implementation of the study on poverty eradication through a sustainable irrigation rice project in November 2003 to March 2007,†said Mukisa.
In March 2004, President Yoweri Museveni lauched the Upland Rice (NERICA) Project. Since then, rice farming in Uganda has grown from 4,000 farmers in 2004 to over 35,000 in 2007.
Mukisa explained that this was achieved through the transfer of irrigation and paddy rice production skills to farmers’ groups in the four pilot sites.
“The initiative was also largely aimed at protecting Uganda’s fragile wetlands by providing a crop that grows on dry land and still makes commendable incomes,†he added.
Uganda again asked Japan for a technical cooperation project to promote irrigation and rice production in 22 districts.
Japan gave Uganda a grant of $1.3m in 2006 and $1.5 in 2008 for rice production. The funds are administered by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
The FAO representative in Uganda, Percy Misika, said the world consumption of rice is increasing on average by 1% per annum yet productivity was going up by only 0.5%.
“This accumulative gap created over the 10 years has now caused a “rice crisis,†said Misika.
He added that an average Ugandan consumes 10kg annually, compared to 3kg 10 years ago, despite a kilogramme of rice going for $1.26, up from $0.6 a year ago.
Mukisa said trice gaining more importance in staple diets in east and central Africa and the annual per capita consumption had reached 15kg.
“The rice revolution comes at a time when the demand for rice in Africa is growing faster than anywhere in the world, at about 6% per annum,†he said.
Kazuo Haraguchi, the Japanese deputy director-general for environment and international affairs, said: “We give the highest importance to rice production in agriculture cooperation in African countries. Rice is the third largest crop in Africa, next to maize and cassava.â€
He said African countries import 7m tones of rice per annum. “If the self-sufficiency ratio of rice would increase, Africa could save the cost for food import and spend more money for other purposes.â€
Haraguchi added that the unit production of rice is higher than that of other crops and its production is rather stable particularly in paddy fields were rice can be produced repeatedly thus achieving sustainable agricultiure.
“Asian countries have achieved “Green Revolutionâ€. Certainly, African countries can also achieve it and be food self-sufficient. We will support your efforts,†he said.