FAO REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON RICE AND AQUACULTURE

NATIONAL RICE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY - GHANA

KAMPALA, UGANDA(13 – 17 APRIL 2009)

INTRODUCTION• Ghana 30% self-sufficient in rice production • The per capita consumption : 38kg/person/year. • Total rice demand (tons) : 600,000mt• Range of Domestic production (tons) : 200,000-

300,000 tons• Agro-ecological Zones and Production

– Irrigated : 8%– Lowland/Inland Valleys : 77%– Upland : 15%

Per Capita Production of rice : 20kg paddy/ 13kg milled

No. of Provinces/Region: 10

Northern VoltaUpper East

AshantiUpper WestBrong AhafoEasternCentralWesternGreater Accra

70% of Pdn

30% of Pdn

RICE PRODUCTION FIGURES FOR GHANA (1998 – 2006)

Status of Rice in National Policies

MTADP & AAGDS • rice as important food security crop• Potential crop for foreign exchange

FASDEP(I & II), GPRS (I & II)• Promote rice as production to address food

security and poverty reduction

FASDEP II • Reduce rice import by 30 per cent (local

production increase to 370,000 mt/yr)

Specific Measures

• Increased mechanization of rice production along the value chain

• Increased area under cultivation and intensification in valleys and lowlands

• Efficient utilizations of irrigation systems

• Varietals improvement

• Increased seed production and utilization

Rice Consumer Preferences

Wide variation based on grain x’tics• Cleanliness• Uniformity and unbroken grains• Taste• Expansion capacity• Long grain and perfumed• Health consideration (brown rice, organic) • Parboiled (northern Ghana)

Per Capita Consumption

• 1998 – 2001 17.5kg/person/year

• 2002 – 2004 22.6kg/person/year

• Current estimates 38.0kg/person/year

• Per capita consumption growth rate – 8.9% per annum

• Population growth rate 2.5% per annum

Demand Projections

• Based on population and demand growth rates – 41.1kg/person/year by 2010 and

63.0kg/person/year by 2015 giving an aggregate demand of 1,680,000t/year

• Based on only population growth rate – 600,000t/year by 2015

Typology and Percentage Proportion of Rice Farmers

Type Main Characteristics % Proportion

1.Ultra Poor

rice Growers

1.1 Subsistence; often female headed or elderly headed households. Face labor constraints; have no resources to fall on in event of external shocks.

15%

2.Marginal

Rice

Smallholders

2.1 Could produce a small marketable surplus; may have some resources on which to fall (i.e. greater physical strength, better health, more land, small savings etc.). Significant proportion of adult household members may migrate during off season.

25%

3. Viable

Small Scale

Rice Growers

3.1 Poor but potentially viable small scale farmers. Not necessarily factor constrained. (Have land and/or labor). Often have assets that are used inefficiently because of lack of access to markets, poor infrastructure or weather related risks. Limited access to technologies. Willingness to take some risk.

40%

4.Emergent Commercial Rice growers

4.1 Grow rice mainly as cash crop; market orientation; could own small equipment like tractors; use hybrid seed and fertilizer; few with irrigation; have household labor with some hired labor.

20%

Gender and the Rice Value Chain

Chain Stage

(A) Production (F – 40%; M – 60%)

(B) Marketing(F – 50%; M – 50%)

•Generally smallholder•rice is a significant cash crop for many farmers•Averagely about 50% of produce are sold•About 60% store paddy for about 6 months•50% sell half of produce at harvest time (a)Local traders who supply consuming centres in the surrounding of the production areas.•Buy paddy from farmers•Process it at the local milling center•Sell it either directly to consumers or to traders-In dryer areas, local traders buy paddy, parboil it before milling

(b) Regional traders have similar marketing functions, but operate on larger distance

Gender and the Rice Value Chain

Chain Stage

(B) Marketing

(c) Processing(F – 70%; M – 30%)

(c) Inter- Regional Traders • They link regions with surplus to major consuming centers• They buy, mill and organise transportation of milled rice• Sell milled rice to retailers

(d) Retailers- May deal only with local rice or with both ( local + imported)

Two types of milling technologies- Small Engelberg mill (55% recovery rate)- Rubber roller technology (65% recovery rate)- Mills have an intense activity during harvest period- Besides the milling technology, know-how and post-harvest

practices influence quality of milled rice

Comparative advantage

• Imported rice attracts 20% import levy

• High grade rice - US$650/ton

• Low grade rice - US$530/ton

• Local rice - US$563/ton

Challenges and opportunities

Land tenure- Challenges

• Limited access and tenure security

- small size of holding

- low investment in land improvement

• Land allocation bias against women

Challenges and opportunities

Land tenure- opportunity

• Large rain-fed lowlands and valleys available and suitable for rice production

Challenges and opportunities

Socio-cultural issues – Challenges

• Gender inequalities

- limited access to land

- limited access to credit

Opportunity

• Traditional rice festivals

Challenges and opportunities

Transboundary/regional issuesOpportunities – Free movement of goods

and services- Improved sub-regional rice trade- Exchange of market information- Exchange of research information- Easy exchange of seeds- Challenges – phytosanitary problems

Challenges and opportunities

Local Rice for Poverty Reduction and Economic Growth

Opportunities

• Income generation

• Employment creation

Challenges and Opportunities

Lessons from previous R&D activities

RELCs – provide opportunity for integrating farmers concerns and knowledge into future R & D activities

PADS and PLAR – provides opportunity for including farmers and extension agents in technology adaptation

Challenge – inadequate funding for research

Challenges and oportunities

Human and institutional capacities

Challenges – Inadequate staff (research, technicians and extensionists)

- Inadequate equipment for both research and extension

Priority Areas and Approach

Rain-fed lowland ecology (78% of area under rice cultivation)

Frequent flooding – require use of simple water management technologies

Upland ecology (15% under rice cultivation)

Erratic rainfall pattern; weed competition; low soil fertility high pest levels – suitable for short duration varieties

Priority Areas and Approach

Irrigated ecologies (8% under rice cultivation)

High yields; efficient technology use (improved land preparation; improved varieties; fertilizer use; weed control through water management)

Priority Areas

Policies and institutional opportunities• Adoption of value chain approach to agriculture

development• Building capacity to meet challenges of quality

standards for international markets• Scaling-up of land and water management

practices• Building strong public/private partnerships• Building strong FBOs• Improving support to commercial ventures

Vision and scope

Goal – contribute to food security, income generation and poverty reduction

Objectives

• To reduce rice import by 50% by 2018

• To promote consumption of local rice

• To develop capacity for utilization of rice by-products

Production Targets in the Rice Ecologies Year Rain fed upland Rain fed lowland Irrigated Total/Average

Area (x1000ha

Yied

(tons/

ha)

Prd.

(x1000

tons)

Area (x1000ha

Yied

(tons/

ha)

Prod.

(x1000

tons)

Area (x1000ha

Yield

(tons/

ha)

Prod.

(x1000

tons)

Area (x1000ha

Yield

(tons/

ha)

Prod.

(x1000

tons)

2008 7.1 1.5 10.6 92.0 2.5 230.1 18.9 4.0 75.5 118.0 2.7 318.6

2013 30.0 2.2 66.0 150.0 3.0 450.0 25.0 5.0 125.0 205.0 3.3 676.5

2018 45.0 2.5 112.5 300.0 3.5 1,050.0 30.0 6.0 180.0 375.0 4.0 1,500.0

Human Capacity Targets for the Rice Sector

Year Agricultural Researchers with MSc, MPhil orPhD

Research Technicians Extension Workers

Total Rice Specialist (full time)

Rice Specialists

(part time)

Total Rice Specialist (full time)

Rice Specialists

(part time)

Total Rice Specialist (full time)

Rice Specialists

(part time)

2008 48 28 20 24 15 9 2300 70 2230

2013 55 50 5 110 100 10 4070 1640 2430

2018 60 55 5 130 120 10 5630 3000 2630

Governance of NRDS

Development Partners Rep.

National Rice Committee

MoFA

National Rice Task Force – (Technical)

Upland Group Lowland Group Irrigated Group

Commitment of GoG

• Financial – allocation of 10% annual budget to agriculture sector

• Payment of salaries and allowances of staff

• Tax exemptions on imports for strategy implementation

National and international stakeholders

• Ministry of Food Agriculture• Ghanaian Universities Institutions• National Research Institutions• Private sector operators• NGOs and CBOs• International Research institutions

(WARDA, IRRI CIRAD, CORAF, FARA, ETC.)

Key Interventions

• Development of water control structures• Integrated soil fertility management• Rice varietal improvement and seed supply• Post-harvest handling • Value addition• Technology development and dissemination• Provision of micro-finance• Developing rice information system• Mainstreaming gender and environmental cons.

Strategies - Projections for Seed Requirement

Year Rain fed upland Rain fed lowland Irrigated Total/Average

Area (x1000ha

Seed

Rate

(kg/ha

Total

qty rqd

(tons)

Area (x1000ha

Seed

Rate

(kg/ha

Total

qty rqd

(tons)

Area (x1000ha

Seed

Rate

(kg/ha

Total

qty rqd

(tons)

Area (x1000ha

Total qty (tons)

2008 7.08 60 424.8 92.04 50 4,602 18.88 35 633.8 126.29 5,660.6

2013 30.0 60 1,800 150.0 50 7,500 25.0 35 875.0 173.13 10, 175

2018 45.0 60 2,700 300.0 50 15,000 30.0 35 1,050.0 375.0 18, 750

Strategies - Projections for Fertilizer

Requirement

Year Fertilizer Requirement(kg/ha)

Land area (Ha) (x1000)

Quantity Required (tons) (x1000)

NPK 90-45-45 S/A NPK 90-45-45 S/A

2008 300 214.28 118 35,400 25,285.04

2013 300 214.28 205 61,500 43,927.4

2018 300 214.28 375 112,500 80,355.0

Post- Harvest and Marketing Strategy

• use of appropriate harvesting and threshing facilities (small–medium scale harvesters and threshers).

• Establishment of national minimum standards by providing standard rice mills (equipped with pre-cleaners, destoner, hullers, polishers, paddy separators, aspirators, and graders).

• Brown rice and parboiled rice production will be promoted to enhance the nutritional status of rural and urban consumers.

• branding and packaging, retailing in supermarkets and organisation of food bazaars to promote local rice.

• establish warehouses for milled rice at central locations of major producing and consumption areas,

• sustain rice marketing credit lines, • build capacity of marketers and processors

Irrigation and Water Control Investment Strategy

• To expand rice production under irrigation, existing schemes will be rehabilitated while new gravity-controlled schemes will be developed. In the rain fed lowlands, communities will be mobilized to participate in the development of simple and low cost water control structures (dykes, bunding, catchment areas protection, drainage) for improved rice production. Farmers will be trained in the operation and maintenance of schemes. Water measuring devices for improved water usage under irrigation will be provided.

• Logistic Requirements for Irrigation and Water Control Investment Strategies

• It is intended to develop the skills of technicians to mobilize farmers to participate in the development of water control structures and to attract communities’ willingness to maintain these structures.

Equipment Access and Maintenance Strategy

• To ensure easy and timely access to improved agricultural equipment, the government in the short term will facilitate the supply of power tillers and accessories, water pumps, tractors and accessories, transplanters and seed drills. In the long term however, the government will encourage the private sector to play a greater role including public-private partnership ventures. Government and the private sector will empower communities in accessing and use of equipment for maintenance of irrigation systems (cleaning and desilting of canals and drains, e.t.c).

Research and Technology Dissemination Strategy

• Development and dissemination of improved varieties to farmers. At the farm level, the

• Enhance capacity of farmers to ensure adaptation of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) for rice cultivation.

• Adaptation and fabrication of equipment for small and medium scale operators along the value chain.

• Training manuals, videos, fact sheets and posters on the rice value chain will be developed and disseminated.

• Conduct studies into land suitability, land use and delineation for rice-based cropping.

Communities Mobilization, Farmer Based Organizations and Credit Management

Strategy• key actors (small holder producers,

processors, traders) are mobilized and animated into cohesive and well functioning groups.

• Empower identifiable groups through training, linkage to credit sources and easy access to inputs and equipment.

Conclusion

• Both expansion in under cultivation and intensification are crucial to meeting Ghana’s future rice demands

• The approach for development will adopt the value chain approach to commodity development

• Strategies and activities will be take into consideration the dynamics of the sector within the West Africa sub-region