Uganda tops upland rice growing
Jul 06, 2010
UGANDA is now the leading producer of the upland NERICA rice in sub-Saharan Africa. Uganda comes second to Cote d’Ivoire, ahead of Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Rwanda and Ethiopia which also grow it.
By Josephine Maseruka
and Ronald Kalyango
UGANDA is now the leading producer of the upland NERICA rice in sub-Saharan Africa, according to an expert.
Akio Goto, who works with the Japen International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and coordinator of the NERICA project, attributed the success to the fact that farmers, traders and the Government are convinced of the rice variety’s commercial value.
“This is no mean achievement because that could in future turn the country into the biggest rice producer on the continent,†Goto said.
NERICA or the New Rice for Africa, was introduced in 2002. Since then, Uganda’s rice production has risen from 123,000 metric tonnes to about 180,000 metric tones today, according to the agriculture ministry.
Uganda comes second to Cote d’Ivoire in the production of NERICA, although Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Rwanda and Ethiopia also grow it.
The rice variety was developed by the West Africa Rice Development Association, an intergovernmental research centre.
“It is a cross between an ancient, hardy African rice variety and a high-yielding Asian variety. It combines features of both resistance to drought and pests, higher yields even with little irrigation or fertilisers, and more protein content than other types of rice,†said Dr. Godfrey Asea, the head of the cereal programme at Namulonge Research Institute.
In January 2004, the Vice-President, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, introduced NERICA to fight poverty in Uganda.
President Yoweri Museveni launched the project at Bukenya’s farm in Wakiso district. Representatives of 11 districts were later given the rice seeds, thanks to the Rockfeller Foundation, which funded the project.
Farmers earned $9m (14.9b) in 2005. Rice imports have in turn dropped, saving Uganda about $30m (sh50b) in foreign exchange earnings, according to statistics.
“In some areas, farmers reap a gross profit of sh1.2m from one acre of land after investing sh600,000. Thus, the farmer reaps a net profit of sh600,000, assuming he sold the unmilled rice at sh1,000 per kilo,†Bukenya explained.
“This is 100% profit. In future, farmers will save more at the rice processing level,†Bukenya said.
He was impressed by the rice’s performance in Gulu district.
and Ronald Kalyango
UGANDA is now the leading producer of the upland NERICA rice in sub-Saharan Africa, according to an expert.
Akio Goto, who works with the Japen International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and coordinator of the NERICA project, attributed the success to the fact that farmers, traders and the Government are convinced of the rice variety’s commercial value.
“This is no mean achievement because that could in future turn the country into the biggest rice producer on the continent,†Goto said.
NERICA or the New Rice for Africa, was introduced in 2002. Since then, Uganda’s rice production has risen from 123,000 metric tonnes to about 180,000 metric tones today, according to the agriculture ministry.
Uganda comes second to Cote d’Ivoire in the production of NERICA, although Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Rwanda and Ethiopia also grow it.
The rice variety was developed by the West Africa Rice Development Association, an intergovernmental research centre.
“It is a cross between an ancient, hardy African rice variety and a high-yielding Asian variety. It combines features of both resistance to drought and pests, higher yields even with little irrigation or fertilisers, and more protein content than other types of rice,†said Dr. Godfrey Asea, the head of the cereal programme at Namulonge Research Institute.
In January 2004, the Vice-President, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, introduced NERICA to fight poverty in Uganda.
President Yoweri Museveni launched the project at Bukenya’s farm in Wakiso district. Representatives of 11 districts were later given the rice seeds, thanks to the Rockfeller Foundation, which funded the project.
Farmers earned $9m (14.9b) in 2005. Rice imports have in turn dropped, saving Uganda about $30m (sh50b) in foreign exchange earnings, according to statistics.
“In some areas, farmers reap a gross profit of sh1.2m from one acre of land after investing sh600,000. Thus, the farmer reaps a net profit of sh600,000, assuming he sold the unmilled rice at sh1,000 per kilo,†Bukenya explained.
“This is 100% profit. In future, farmers will save more at the rice processing level,†Bukenya said.
He was impressed by the rice’s performance in Gulu district.