Agricultural scientists responsible for breeding Rice varieties are deploying climate smart and market driven technologies to bridge Uganda’s rice deficit and boost production.

This is being done in collaboration with experts from Africa Rice Centre under a programme Technologies for Africa Agricultural Transformation (TAAT).

This was revealed in a recent business to business dialogue involving rice breeders, seed companies, farmers and all those involved in the rice value chain to address ways of how to increase Ugandan bred rice varieties for consumer uptake.

Background

According to the head of Cereals program at the National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI) Dr Jimmy Lamo, rice is the country’s second most important cereal after maize and consumption is rising with population growth and urbanization.

According to the figures from the Ministry of Agriculture, Uganda still imports about a third of the rice it eats. Its mills, meanwhile run at roughly 59% of installed capacity, largely because farmers and millers have no contractual link.

Dr Lamo notes that Rice was introduced in the country in 1900 with farmers adopting the irrigated K- series.

However from the year 2004 developmental partners particularly the Japan government came in to support breeding programs to date.

Through the National Research Organization (Naro) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Nerica varieties were developed and released.

Later through Korean government initiatives lowland varieties namely NARO Rice 1- 5 and Wita 9 and highland varieties Okile and NamChe were released for farmer uptake.

In the entire Africa about 75 rice varieties have so been released which has led to increased acreage wit 40% increase in production.

What the TAAT program is doing to increase rice production

The Coordinator of the TAAT compact program at the Africa Rice Centre Dr Erasmus Nchuaji Tang noted that “to increase rice production in Uganda, it requires both public and private partnership engagement,”

This will be done through Technology adoption which include introduction of climate smart varieties which are high yielding and designed to withstand climate shock conditions.

Others are improved Seed System to strengthen seed multiplication and distribution networks through public-private partnerships with local seed companies.

Scaling labor saving and precision tools, such as good quality threshers, efficient land preparation equipment and straight line planting techniques to reduce seed rates and boost efficiency.

Post-Harvest and processing technologies through upgrading value addition by farmers adopting improved drying systems, hermetic storage solutions and better industrial milling coordination to raise head rice recovery and reduce post-harvest losses.

Digital advisory and profiling tools to utilize digital platforms such as eProd, Rice Advice and SMS advisory systems for farmer registration, field mapping, traceability, weather updates and input access.

Fostering direct contractual links and out-grower agreements between smallholder farmers, millers and financiers to ensure local mills operate closer to full capacity instead of sitting idle while grain is imported.

He said “the TAAT program is targeting about 160 participants, at least 60 one-to-one business meetings and 25 recorded commitments and at least five off-take or out-grower agreements. The initiative supports Uganda’s National Rice Development Strategy II 2020-2030, which aims to raise paddy production from about 247,000 tons in 2022 to 663,000 tons by 2030,”

According to Dr Tang so far TAAT rice delivery initiative has achieved 67,739 tons of climate resilient rice seed, with 2.35 million acres planted across Africa and 2.25 million farmers benefiting.

About 791 million US dollars has been invested in 8 countries including Uganda with 32% households benefiting across Africa.

Already the program modal is working in a number of countries in West Africa with farmers adopting solar powered irrigation systems and integrated Rice fish farms in order to harvest double. This he says must be adopted in Uganda.

The Program coordinator in Uganda Dr Arthur Wasukira explained that TAAT started in 2018 with the initial program supporting rice variety development and his team bread and released Nam che4 (ARICA) rice variety out of this initiative.

“Along the way we reviewed the seed roadmap to meet national rice development targets where we conducted expert training with personnel in seed companies to produce quality seed. This led to 1,400 tons of rice seed production by Equator seed and farmer cooperatives in Doho Irrigation Scheme, Kweba Holding in Butaleja, Mubuku Famers Cooperatives in Kasese and Adagani farmer Cooperative in Northern Uganda” he noted.

The team continues to breed high yielding varieties which is availed to seed companies for multiplication as well as creating awareness in best agronomy practices including land tilling and levelling, , drying, harvesting time and use of machinery to realize quantity and quality.

Challenges

Despite the achievements to improve rice production in Uganda, Dr Wasukira notes that there are challenges which include low yields on average 2.5 tons per hectare as a result of low input use and dependence on saved seed.

Others are climate change including rain fed practices, wetland restrictions, pests and diseases, high labour demand, lack of machinery use and poor post-harvest handling among others.