U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY MDB AWARDS 2014

Multinational: New for Africa (NERICA) Dissemination Project

INCREASING DOMESTIC PRODUCTION, IMPROVING

Multinational: U.S. DEPARTMENT New Rice OF THE TREASURY for Africa (NERICA) MDB AWARDS Dissemination Project 2014 Multinational: (NERICA) Dissemination Project PROJECT DESCRIPTION

1 Development problem

Each year Africa imports one-third of the world’s particularly in , where rice is the fastest- rice, about 20% (5.2 million tons) for West Africa growing food staple crop. Encouraging rice farmers to alone. By 2020 an extra 17 million tons of milled adopt innovative technologies, such as the use of high- rice, costing billions in scarce foreign currency, will yielding rice varieties, is one way to increase domestic be required if domestic production continues to lag production. behind the growing demand. Any price increases in the international rice markets would adversely affect In the 1990s AfricaRice developed NERICA (New Rice food security, especially in poor households, which for Africa) rice varieties, work that has been widely spend a sizable portion (20-25%) of their revenue on hailed as one of the most significant advances in crop food. Most governments in West Africa are aware of improvement. In 2005, seven West African countries— the facts and have put in place policies to mitigate , Gambia, Ghana, , , and the impact of increased world rice prices in their Sierra Leone—jointly sought the assistance of the countries. in enhancing food security in the region by funding the dissemination of new Enhancing domestic productivity in rice is another technology and sharing of knowledge on the NERICA 2 approach to reducing poverty and food insecurity— rice varieties.

PROJECT INFORMATION Project name: Multinational New Rice for Africa (NERICA) Dissemination Project Location: West Africa (Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Mali and Sierra Leone) Amount: Bank financed: $34 million Co-financed: • Participating countries: $6.0 million • Beneficiaries: $1.2 million Duration and dates: 6 years (February 2005 to December 2011)

2 Project description

Under the regional coordination of AfricaRice, the project production and processing equipment, storage and organized farmers into NERICA rice farmers’ groups and product marketing infrastructure, and post-harvest associations to help them produce quality seeds and equipment for demonstration purposes. competitive commercial rice. They were instructed in optimal rice production technologies and were given the Because improved varieties may be developed necessary basic seeds (“foundation seeds”), supervision, and tested on research stations but may perform U.S. Department of the Treasury MDB Awards 2014 3 AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK GROUP DEVELOPMENT AFRICAN A 20-year rotation period to allow the full recovery allow the full recovery period to A 20-year rotation especiallyon the research costs, the investment of under the project. activities and capacity-building ◗ ◗ execution of the NERICA project. AfricaRice’s technical and technical the NERICA project. of AfricaRice’s execution scientific, the technical, helped upgrade scientific expertise Agricultural the National of and managerial capacities Services. and Extension Research technology, and (iv) determine whether there are are there whether (iv) determine and technology, selection criteria. in varietal gender differences seed certification establishing of the difficulty Given in the areas, especially in rural countries, in large schemes seed community-based developed AfricaRice 1990s late intrained were which farmers through (CBSS), systems quality” for acceptable “seed of producing for practices best CBSS project adopted The and their neighbors. themselves especially in areas services, seed delivery alongside formal PVS in through had been adopted modern varieties where project. dissemination the NERICA preceding the years showed that the introduction of the of the introduction that showed 1 Rate of return of Rate Analysis and appraisal 2011. Dontsop Nguezet 2006, Spencer al. 2006, Adegbola et al. 2006b. Diagne 2006a, Diagne et example, for See, 4 3 1 The assumptions were as follows: were The assumptions The internal economic rate of return was estimated for for estimated was return of rate economic The internal it. using and one not using fertiliser scenarios—one two technical and scientific arms of the Ministries of Agriculture of the Ministries and scientific arms of technical the for responsible which are countries, in the participating built a regional research system through the partnership through system research built a regional and the AfricaRice between and networks programs Services—the and Extension Research Agricultural National phases of developing their rice research capacities and capacities research their rice developing of phases build and to opportunities provide To services. extension the project issues, security on food knowledge share project adopted the PVS methodology to enhance the enhance to the PVS methodology project adopted The seven technology. rice the proven of uptake regional varying at in the project were participating countries uptake of the technology would have been achieved have would the technology of uptake had been groups farmers’ if larger level the regional at the Therefore, technology. rice the new to exposed Africa by AfricaRice Africa by significant impact on rice had a varieties NERICA rice significant a more Africa, but that in West productivity Several adoption and impact studies conducted in West in West conducted and impact studies adoption Several research and selection for further refinement of the the of further refinement and selection for research farmers’ fields, (ii) determine the types of varieties varieties of the types (ii) determine fields, farmers’ the traits (iii) learn grow, to want farmers that in breeding assist to in varieties value farmers that of PVS is to transfer the NERICA rice varieties to to varieties NERICA rice the transfer PVS is to of the time required (i) reduce to efficiently farmers into stations on research tested varieties move to (PVS) program—a client-oriented approach that that approach client-oriented (PVS) program—a varieties crop improved of a choice farmers offers The goal realities. their needs and field match that poorly under farmers’ actual field conditions, the the actual field conditions, farmers’ poorly under selection varietal participatory the project introduced Multinational: New Rice for Africa (NERICA) Dissemination Project

◗◗ Economic prices for seed and rice based on the ◗◗ Most of the agricultural products produced projected domestic and regional market prices. under the assumed inter-cropping model are Although import substitution would result in for subsistence consumption, largely within the a loss of revenues from taxes and duties, no production area. Consequently, market prices were adjustment was made on this account because of used for the economic analysis. the advantages to be realized by saving foreign exchange and even gaining export earnings from On the basis of these assumptions, estimates from trade in rice and rice seed between the regional the economic and financial analysis of the project member countries and beyond. showed an average economic internal rate of return (EIRR) of about 26%, with values ranging from ◗◗ NERICA yields of 1,500 kg/hectare without 25% to 39% across project countries. The project fertilisers and 2,500 kg/hectare using fertilisers, provided seed money to help farmers buy fertilisers and traditional rice yields of 800 kg/hectare. for their rice fields, but fertilisers were often not available at the appropriate time in the participating ◗◗ On average NERICA is harvested 1.25 times a year. countries.

5 Beneficiaries

The primary beneficiaries of the multinational NERICA organized into 1,320 rice farmer groups, of which dissemination project were upland rice producers in 1,056 were women’s groups. Other beneficiaries of the 4 rural communities, who have limited education and project included rice scientists, extension agents (in training. They are mostly subsistence farmers who sell terms of training), community seed producers, credit marginal surpluses to meet cash expenses, such as and microfinance institutions, input distributors, rice for education, health care, and other basic household processors and traders. needs. The yield levels for their traditional upland rice varieties are generally low. Because these subsistence A review of findings from NERICA adoption and impact rice farmers lack collateral, they are generally unable studies in the target countries showed that NERICA had a to access credit resources to engage in significant positive impact on women2. In addition to higher yields economic activities. About 80% of the targeted project and higher protein content (25% higher than the average beneficiaries were women and poor people. in the world market), the NERICA varieties mature quickly—a useful trait to cope with drought and compete The project benefited an estimated 241,000 farm with weeds, serious constraints in upland rice farming in families in the project area, 33,000 of whom were West Africa. This feature is a major attraction for women involved in NERICA PVS. The beneficiaries were rice farmers, who do most of the weeding in rice fields.

6 Monitoring and evaluation

The project was monitored through baseline surveys Agricultural Research and Extension Services. For both at the onset of the project (2006) and ex-post impact sets of surveys, a common methodology was used in all assessment surveys (2010) carried out by the National countries to facilitate comparability and aggregation of

2 Agboh-Noameshie et al. 2007, AfricaRice 2007, Somado et al. 2008. U.S. Department of the Treasury MDB Awards 2014 5 AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK GROUP DEVELOPMENT AFRICAN The project also introduced proven environment-friendly environment-friendly proven The project also introduced of application such as the proper practices farming and agro-chemicals. The higher manure, fertilisers, less meant varieties the NERICA rice of productivity less land encroachment, deforestation, marginal less sustainable and more ecosystems fragile of destruction the cover to allocated were Funds systems. farming environmental the national by provided services of cost $1.25 per day. Projecting this figure into the future, the future, into Projecting this figure $1.25 per day. seed awareness, current consideration taking into a conservative gives levels, and adoption availability, a million half of out people who will be lifted estimate the project. 2035 because of by poverty of or in national conservation for varieties indigenous rice were rice of about 20 land races seed banks; regional preserved. and collected the largest rice production environment in West Africa; in West environment production rice the largest is not hectare per tons 2.5-3.0 of an average today, 4.7 attained have and in Mali some farmers uncommon, Ghana, such as Benin, Project countries tons/hectare. double-digit recorded and Nigeria have Mali, Guinea NERICA crediting production, rice in domestic increases who farmers In 2011, jump. the remarkable for rice from benefited activities in the project had participated US$14.4 million. of additional income more that the project,By the end of estimated it was rice-farming people living in participating than 35,000 line of the poverty above lifted households had been Environmental and social risk mitigation and social risk mitigation Environmental 7 local and regional varieties of rice. In addition, the project rice. of varieties local and regional and traditional of the collection funded and encouraged garden” was established in a target village, often in often village, in a target established was garden” The garden, farmer. or innovative a leading the field of NERICA, of composed was seeds, rice which cultivates erosion by introducing the proven PVS program as a PVS program the proven introducing by erosion development in varietal farmers rice involve to means a “rice year, and large-scale In the first dissemination. under monoculture growing conditions could have led to have could conditions growing under monoculture varietal farmers’ rice reducing biodiversity, rice of a loss genetic this risk of The project addressed portfolio. The introduction of the high-yielding NERICA rice varieties varieties NERICA rice the high-yielding of The introduction of farmland in the seven West African countries alone. alone. African countries West in the seven farmland of grain rice average began, farmers’ the project Before in the upland ecology, about 1.0 ton/hectare yield was The NERICA varieties, which covered 200,000 hectares in hectares 200,000 which covered The NERICA varieties, all began, now when the project Africa sub-Saharan of hectares estimate—800,000 a conservative cover—at there is still a need to increase investment in NERICA investment increase is still a need to there dissemination. 43%, while the potential adoption rate was estimated estimated was rate adoption 43%, while the potential a lack be due to about 63%. This 20% gap seems to at NERICA seed, showing to and access awareness both of has increased consistently since the launch of the project the launch of since consistently has increased the actual adoption in 2011, project completion in 2005. At be about to estimated was countries the seven across rate that productivity-enhancing agricultural innovations can innovations agricultural productivity-enhancing that poverty, reduce households, farm of the incomes help raise Africa. The proportion in West insecurity food and mitigate women, mostly NERICA varieties, growing farmers rice of structured questionnaires. questionnaires. structured assumption the project design the findings confirm Overall, nonagricultural income, household expenditures, and expenditures, household income, nonagricultural were data country, In each consumption. household food through levels village both at and producer collected socio-demographics, knowledge and cultivation of rice rice of cultivation and socio-demographics, knowledge rice for data production seed, rice to access varieties, and agricultural (input use and costs), crops and other adoption and impact estimates across the countries. At At countries. the across impact estimates and adoption household on collected were data level, the household Multinational: New Rice for Africa (NERICA) Dissemination Project

agencies to support the design and implementation of into rice farmer and seed producer groups. The project mitigation strategies. helped link project beneficiaries with microfinance institutions to ensure they had access to both short- The project gave special attention to women’s challenges and medium-term credit to enable them to carry out by ensuring that women were represented and organized additional income-generating activities.

8 Lessons learned and applied

The NERICA project yielded two important lessons for Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) – the Bank’s work in other projects. First, building a strong Support to Agricultural Research for Development on regional research system through appropriate partnership Strategic Commodities in Africa, which was approved programs and networks between international or regional in 2012. Under this project, the Bank will partner research centres of excellence (such as AfricaRice) with international and regional research centres of provides unique opportunities for building and sharing excellence, farmers’ associations, and civil society to knowledge on food security issues in the Bank’s regional address the broad range of development needs in member countries (RMCs), which often have weak the agriculture sector, especially the areas of science, human and institutional capacities. And second, involving technology, and policy. The project’s regional approach the end-user farmers at the onset of the development of aims to draw on the international experience and any technology—no matter how innovative—is key to the modern research facilities of the CGIAR-supported subsequent uptake and adoption of the technology for centres to strengthen the capacity of the National 6 enhanced agricultural productivity. Research and Extension Services to deliver innovative technologies adapted to the pressing needs of These lessons have informed the design of another agricultural development for sustained food security in multinational project, the Multinational Consultative the Bank’s RMCs

9 Sustainability

The sustainability of the NERICA project was built simple language and clear visuals, and incorporating into its design. The capacity of the beneficiaries was lessons from Participatory Learning and Action enhanced using the well-tested Participatory Learning Research. The videos are available in English, French, and Action Research for Integrated Rice Management. and the most widely spoken languages in the target The project facilitated the organization of rice farmers countries. Furthermore, the project enhanced the into producer cooperatives. Learning materials such as National Agricultural Research and Extension Services’ videos (www.africarice/warda/guide-video.asp) were capacities; reliance on these services was deemed produced in close collaboration with researchers, critical to ensure the consolidation of the project’s field workers, rice farmers, and rice processors, using achievement when the project closed.

10 Partnerships

The project partnered with the leading pan-African Research and Extension Servic, farmers’ associations, rice research centre, AfricaRice. The National and civil society in the participating countries worked U.S. Department of the Treasury MDB Awards 2014 7 AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK GROUP DEVELOPMENT AFRICAN Productivity on Small Farms, edited by __K. by edited Otsuka and D. on SmallProductivity Farms, Media. Larson. Dordrecht: Springer Science+Business A.,Diagne, S.-K.G. and I Akintayo. M. Midingoyi, Wopereis, Food and Strengthening Productivity Rice 2011. Increasing Africa Africa (NERICA). In Yes for Rice New through Security a Dynamic Continent, C.P. from by Stories Can: Success Punam and A. DC: Bank Manka. International Washington, and Development. Reconstruction for visibility. The film was intended for dissemination to to dissemination for intended The film was visibility. to presentation and for member countries the Bank’s donors from and potential representatives government The high-quality film sectors. the public and private both and international to distribution for the standards meets broadcasters. regional 28th IAAE workshop; SPIA Pre-conference at 2012. 18, August do Iguaçu, Brazil, Foz conference, Kinkingninhoun- Diagne A., and F.M. Midingoyi, S.G. on Adoption NERICA 2009. “Impact of Medagbe. the at presented Africa.” Paper Yield in West Rice in Africa, revolution a green Promoting symposium Agricultural of Conference the XXVII International at 2009. 22, Beijing, 17- August Economists, and Florent Gnonna Midingoyi, Aliou, Soul-Kifouly Diagne, M. NERICA 2013. “Impact of Kinkingninhoun-Medagbe. Africa.” In West from Yield: Evidence on Rice Adoption Boost to Finding Ways Revolution: An African Green Agricultural Research and Extension Services to to Services and Extension Research Agricultural NERICA rice (e.g., technologies innovative deliver in the Bank’s security food help address to varieties) RMCs. Flash Disk compatible), (DVD/CD The documentary called “NERICA, the seed of Africa, for Rice New the the African Development of hope – The contribution learning,Bank,” for as a tool served in 2012, released the Bank’s and increasing information, disseminating ) that assembles the assembles ) that www.africarice.org/publications/nerica- Dissemination in academic journals and conferences Dissemination Dissemination of project of Dissemination 12 11 Diagne, A.Diagne, of adoption al. 2012. “The impact of et presented Africa.” Paper in West varieties NERICA rice Understanding its Source. African Journal of Agriculture Agriculture African Journal of its Source. Understanding 5(1). Economics and Resource Diagne, A. Change in SmallholderDiagne, 2010. Technological Gap by Bridging the Adoption Agriculture: Impact of NERICA Adoption on Rice Yield in Cote Yield in Cote on Rice NERICA Adoption Impact of Cotonou, (WARDA), Center Africa Rice Mimeo. d’Ivoire.” Benin. Economies, XLIV-2: 208-31. 208-31. XLIV-2: Economies, farmers? rice woman A. for “Bred Diagne, 2006b. Diagne, A.Diagne, NERICA of 2006a. Diffusion and Adoption The Developing d‘Ivoire. in Côte Varieties Rice Paper presented at the 2nd African Association of of the 2nd African Association at presented Paper Ghana. Accra, Conference, Economists Agricultural 2007. 20-22, August Agboh-Noameshie, A., F.M.M. Kinkingninhoun, and Kinkingninhoun, and A.,Agboh-Noameshie, F.M.M. A. adoption NERICA impact of 2007. “Gender Diagne. Benin.” in Central and income production on farmers’ and highlight its interaction with local populations. with local populations. and highlight its interaction of short documentary films of various lengths (5, 8 and (5, lengths various films of short documentary of outline and English to French long) in both 20 minutes countries in participating the project of the field work comp/Nerica%20Compendium.pdf on the NERICA varieties scientific research of results farmers’ on rice their adoption and their impact of In addition, the Bank funded the production livelihoods. The Bank jointly funded and published with FAO and The Bankfunded and published with FAO jointly a Africa Association the Japan-based SASAKAWA ( compendium AfricaRice to strengthen the capacity of the National the National of the capacity strengthen to AfricaRice together on the project. The project’s regional regional on the project.together The project’s and the the experience leverage helped approach the CGIAR-supported of facilities modern research Multinational: New Rice for Africa (NERICA) Dissemination Project

Dontsop Nguezet, P.M, 2011. Impact of Adoption of Africa Association (www.africarice.org/publications/ NERICA Rice Varieties on Rice-Farming Households’ nerica-comp/Nerica%20Compedium.pdf). Welfare in Nigeria. Published Ph.D. dissertation, Lambert Academic Publishing (LAB) GmbH & Co. KG. Spencer, D., A. Dorward, G. Abalu, P. Dayo, and Ogungbile D.. 2006. “Evaluation of Adoption of Dontsop Nguezet, P.M.,A. Diagne, V.O. Okoruwa, NERICA and Other Improved Upland Rice Varieties and V.T. Ojehomon. 2011. Impact of Improved Rice Following Varietal Promotion Activities in Nigeria.” Technology (NERICA varieties) on Income and Poverty A Study for the Gatsby and Rockefeller Foundations, among Rice Farming Households in Nigeria: A Local Final Report. Average Treatment Effect (LATE) Approach. Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture 50 (3): 267-92. Wopereis, M.C.S., A. Diagne, J. Rodenburg, M. Sié, and E.A. Somado. (2008). Why NERICA is a successful Somado, E.A., R.G. Guei, and S.O. Keya. S.O. 2008. innovation for African farmers: A response to Orr et NERICA: The New Rice for Africa – A Compendium. al. from the . Outlook on Agriculture Cotonou, Benin: AfricaRice; Rome: FAO; Tokyo: Sasakawa 37 (3): 169-76.

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