August 25, 2022

Green innovations to boost rice production in Côte d'Ivoire

Staple Crops

Ivory Coast

According to trade statistics, rice consumption in Côte d’Ivoire is around 70 kilograms per capita per year (i.e., nearly 600,000 tons of local paddy and imported and locally husked rice)*. Source - commodafrica.com

Despite these potential local consumption needs, rice cultivation in Côte d'Ivoire faces enormous production and processing difficulties. Low yields due to the non-use of improved inputs, disparities in access to means of production, and the low processing capacity of existing units are the main constraints.

In order to contribute to the improvement of local rice production, 2SCALE has facilitated the introduction of several innovative agricultural technologies within its syndicated rice partnership composed of four Ivorian SMEs involved in the processing and marketing of rice and its by-products. These are Katio Akpa in Katiola, Espoir Riz du Cavally in Guiglo, Locagri in Agboville and Capi in Daloa.

In line with its approach, 2SCALE connects the value-chain actors included in its partnerships to innovative agricultural service and solution providers. In the context of green innovations, whether it is improved seeds, fertilizers, crop protection products or other proven agricultural technologies, many solutions have been introduced within our rice partnership in Côte d'Ivoire to improve productivity and incomes of smallholder farmers, including digital solutions. AFRICA RICE, CNRA, BAYER, SYNGENTA, CIDT and UPL-CALLIVOIRE are some of the innovative organizations that have been linked to the partnership to transform agricultural operations in the different rice producing basins.

Involving farmers in the process from A to Z

For most rural producers, aversion to change is a common theme. One of the particularities of the 2SCALE program interventions is its inclusive nature. Thus, in order to promote the adoption of the solutions introduced, the providers recommended the establishment of demonstration fields identified and proposed by the producers themselves.

In the rice-growing area of Katiola, BAYER's improved 6444 GOLD-TEJ seeds were used in the establishment of two school fields. Two other experimental fields were set up with new transplanting techniques to promote protection against birds and rodents, nursery maintenance and seedling maintenance.

As in Katiola, improved seeds introduced by AFRICA RICE and CNRA, particularly Wita 9, were used on an 800 m2 demonstration plot for the new transplanting techniques.

In the cities of Daloa and Agboville, the supply of CALLIVOIRE (Arize Gold 6444) and BAYER (Swana 2) seeds has helped to strengthen the capacity of producers to respect the new SRI (System of Intensive Rice Cultivation) transplanting methods and production techniques.

Compared to farmers' practices, these new techniques have proven to be less costly and more profitable for producers.

Seeing is believing!

According to a local saying, "seeing is believing. Thus, the establishment of these demonstration plots has largely contributed to the adoption of several innovative technologies by producers.

This is the case of Moussa KONATE, a rice producer in the locality of Agboville, who used to see his yields at around 1.5 tons per season on an area of 5000 m2. UPL-CALLIVOIRE's improved seeds combined with SRI transplanting techniques have allowed him to double his yields. He explains:

Right now we haven't harvested yet, but I know that with everything we've been taught and I've adopted, I'll have double, maybe even triple what I was making before.

If Moussa KONATE is waiting for the harvest to evaluate the yields, CISSE Abdoulaye, for his part, has already seen the advantages of these new techniques:

Before, we were transplanting in disorder. It was difficult to reach 3 tons per hectare. But with the new technique of transplanting in rows, plus the inputs from CALLIVOIRE, we were able to get 4 to 5 tons per hectare at harvest. A friend of mine here says he got up to 6 tons. I hope to have that much or more next season.

Indeed, despite the high costs of hybrid and improved seeds, producers sometimes forget the costs at harvest time, because the yields are far beyond their expectations.

In the locality of Daloa, precisely in Zépréguhé, Tata COULIBALY, a woman rice producer, has benefited from the lessons learned during the training. In addition, the guided tours were an opportunity for her to better understand the advantage of each technique. She recounts:

As the women of the group, we didn't think that one day we would be able to master all these techniques. What we did before required more effort. We told ourselves that rice cultivation was for men; but thanks to the training, today we are proud of ourselves. This knowledge can be passed on to our children, especially the girls.

Finally, although many farmers have been trained and informed about sustainable rice production techniques, some are still reluctant and continue to farm according to their own preferences. However, the partnership actors, particularly the producers, continue to sensitize their peers to adopt innovative techniques and good agricultural practices for sustainable agriculture.

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