September 24, 2022

How is the relationship between women rice parboilers and our business champion Nebnooma?

Staple Crops

Burkina Faso

The institutional landscape of the rice sector in Burkina Faso is characterized by a strong presence of women in the various aspects of the value chain. Over time, women have acquired solid experience and know-how in rice processing, particularly parboiling. Considered as key players in the development of the rice sector, women rice parboilers have gained greater consideration and active involvement in the political orientations for the development of the rice sector. Today, the women rice parboilers are pursuing their ambition to provide quality parboiled rice to all Burkinabe consumers. However, access to a stable market and their ability to supply the most remote localities remains a bottleneck.

Nebnooma, the business champion of the rice partnership, aware of the nutritional value of parboiled rice, has included it in its product offering, in addition to white rice, for the benefit of low-income consumers. To this end, the company has committed to expanding market access opportunities for women rice parboilers by sourcing parboiled rice from them and marketing it through its distribution channels under its AMIR label.

A processing technique passed down from mother to daughter

Inherited from mother to daughter, rice parboiling, against all odds, has gradually become the main activity of most rural women in the western region of Burkina Faso. Fati BOLOGO, president of the union of women rice parboilers of Dandé, immersed in her memories, talks to us about her life and that of her peers in rice parboiling.

From this it is easy to understand that the majority of women involved in parboiling used to produce rice only and market it within their respective cooperatives. The income from this activity was low compared to the costs of rice production, and the financial burdens on their households were high. Her base cooperative then proposed the creation of a union of women rice parboilers in Dandé village. For these women, rice parboiling was a value-added activity that could impact their profit margins.

Nowadays, although the union of rice parboilers in Dandé is experiencing a certain prosperity with the existence of a parboiling center, a storage warehouse and more than a few tons produced, difficulties related to access to stable markets and modern equipment represent a permanent anguish for its members. This is what Julienne SATANE, a rice parboiler in Bama and member of the Relwendé cooperative, said:

We face enormous constraints in running our business. The primary constraint remains access to stable and remunerative markets.

Facilitating access to a guaranteed market through the rice partnership

Diversifying and stabilizing their markets is the biggest concern of the women rice parboilers. Indeed, a diversified and stable market will positively impact the economic profitability of their activities, while providing them with the means to ensure their empowerment. The rice partnership, within the 2SCALE program, has enabled them to enter into business relations with Nebnooma and thus expand their access to the potential rice market, through the signing of a contract. Fati BOLOGO, President of the union explains:

Having Nebnooma as a client is a winning deal. In addition, it is a guarantee for the sale of our parboiled rice.

As for Julienne SATANE, she points out:

As there are many rice parboiling companies, we produce a huge amount of parboiled rice. The question of how to sell parboiled rice is therefore very important, because of the scarcity of the market. Having a client like Nebnooma means being free from the anxieties associated with finding a market. Moreover, Nebnooma pays cash, which is not always the case with other clients.

The relationship between the women rice parboilers and Nebnooma is going well, as evidenced by the delivery of 58 tons of rice by the Dandé union and 21 tons by the Relwendé cooperative. Other quantities of parboiled rice are being delivered by these two entities to the company. In addition, women recognize the positive impact of the partnership on improving their knowledge of the market, parboiling and access to financing.

Towards an inclusive perspective of the rice sector

Nebnooma, by including parboiled rice in its product offering for the benefit of low-income consumers, and by sourcing mainly from rice parboilers, continues to make its inclusive business idea a reality.

Thanks to the 2SCALE partnership, we have understood more about the benefits of including rice parboilers in our supply and distribution chains, putting our vision of installing an industrial parboiling unit on the back burner. We are happy to relieve the women rice parboilers of market issues, and intend to do more,"

says Mamadou Ouédraogo, CEO of Neebnoma.

Moreover, this collaborative model allows Nebnooma to contribute to the economic viability of parboiling, an activity carried out entirely by women.

Respecting commitments for a sustainable partnership

Like any collaboration, its sustainability depends on the respect of the commitments binding the parties. This is why both the women rice parboilers and Nebnooma are committed to strict compliance with their responsibilities. Eventually, Nebnooma aspires to be the official buyer of the rice parboilers in Bobo-Dioulasso, something that the women are very happy about.

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