Diffusion and Adoption of New Rice Varieties for Africa (Nerica) in the Gambia
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African Crop Science Journal, Vol. 20, Issue Supplement s1, pp. 141 - 153 ISSN 1021-9730/2012 $4.00 Printed in Uganda. All rights reserved ©2012, African Crop Science Society DIFFUSION AND ADOPTION OF NEW RICE VARIETIES FOR AFRICA (NERICA) IN THE GAMBIA L. DIBBA, A. DIAGNE1, S.C. FIALOR2 and F. NIMOH2 National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) PMB 526 Serrekunda, The Gambia, West Africa 1Africa Rice Center (Africarice) B.P. 2031 Cotonou, Benin 2Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana Corresponding author’s email address: [email protected] ABSTRACT Rice (Oryza sativa) is one of the most important cereal crops cultivated in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It is ranked as the fourth most important crop in terms of production after sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), maize (Zea mays) and millet (Eleusine coracana). The objective of this study was to establish adoption rates, and their determinants, of the New Rice Varieties for Africa (NERICA) in the Gambia. We used data from a stratified sample of 600 rice farmers and applied the Average Treatment Estimation (ATE) framework to establish rate of adoption and associated factors. The results revealed that NERICA adoption rate was barely 40% falling far below the expected 83%. The shortfall was due to the incomplete stakeholder exposure to NERICA in the period before 2006. The introduction of NERICA to villages was found to be a significant determinant of both exposure and adoption of NERICA varieties. Key Words: Average Treatment Estimate, New Rice Varieties for Africa RÉSUMÉ Le riz (Oryza sativa) est l’une des céréals les plus cultivées en Afrique Sub-Saharienne. Il est la quatrième culture la plus importante en terme de production après le sorgho (Sorghum bicolor), le maïs (Zea mays) et le millet (Eleusine coracana). L’objectif de cette étude était de établir les taux d’adoption et déterminants de nouvelles variétés pour l’Afrique (NERICA) en Gambie. Nous avons utilisé des données issues d’un échantillon stratifié de 600 riziculteurs, et le modèle d’Estimation de la Moyenne de Traitements (ATE) était appliqué pour établir le taux d’adoption et les facteurs associés. Les résultats ont révélé que le taux d’adotpion du NERICA était d’environ 40% ce qui est en contraste avec le taux espéré de 83%. Cette baisse était due à une imparfaite présentation du NERICA aux partenaires avant l’année 2006. L’introduction du NERICA aux villages était un déterminant significatif de la présentation et l’adoption des variétés NERICA. Mots Cles: Estimation de la Moyenne de traitements, Nouvelles Variétés de Riz pour l’Afrique INTRODUCTION production and produces 15% of the total cereal production (FAOSTAT, 2006). Approximately 20 Rice (Oryza sativa) is one of the most important million farmers in SSA grow rice and about 100 cereal crops cultivated in sub-Saharan Africa million people depend on it for their livelihoods (SSA). It is ranked as the fourth most important (Nwanze et al., 2006). Between 1961 and 2003, crop in terms of production after sorghum the annual consumption of rice increased (Sorghum bicolor), maize (Zea mays) and millet annually by 4.4% and among the major cereals (Eleusine coracana) (FAOSAT, 2006). Rice cultivated, rice is the most rapidly growing food occupies 10% of the total land under cereal source in SSA (Kormawa et al., 2004). Despite 142 L. DIBBA et al. the apparent importance of rice in SSA, the Farmer Managed Rice Irrigation Project, 2005). production level is still far below the consumer This decline in productivity level is a major demand. As a result, rice imports keep growing at bottleneck. Nevertheless, the introduction of high an alarming rate. In 2006, SSA accounted for 32% yielding varieties can be a solution to this of the global rice imports with a record level of 9 problem. million tonnes (WARDA/FAO/SAA, 2008). Recently, The Gambia government in In some sub-Saharan African countries like collaboration with the Africa Rice Centre The Gambia, rice is the most important staple food (AfricaRice, Ex -WARDA) introduced high crop and source of calories in terms of yielding rice varieties bred for Africa called the consumption. Its production is one of the main New Rice for Africa (NERICA). The NERICA agricultural activities and an important source of varieties are the result of crosses between the income for a large number of women farmers in Asian rice (O. stiva) and the African rice (O. the country. The per capita consumption of rice glaberrima). These varieties combine desirable in The Gambia has been estimated to be 110kg traits of both parents, which make them superior per person per annum, which is one of the highest rice varieties. The desirable traits of NERICA from in Africa (WARDA, 1996). Of the 106,000 tonnes the Glaberrima parent include: resistance to of rice consumed per annum in the country only drought, weed competition, blast and virus 20,000 tonnes is produced locally. The huge deficit diseases, soil iron toxicity and acidity; while those is met through importation from Asia. In 2000 from the Sativa parent include: good yields, alone, US$ 10.9 million was spent on the absence of lodging and grain shattering and high importation of 93,900 metric tons of rice (The fertiliser returns (Jones et al., 1997a and 1997b; Gambia Central Statistic Department, 2001). Dingkuhn et al., 1998; Audebert et al., 1998; Currently 75% of the total population of Johnson et al., 1998; Dingkuhn et al., 1999). approximately 1.5 million depends on agriculture These characteristics make the NERICA varieties for their livelihood (World Bank, 2005). Of the highly suitable for adoption in SSA, thereby faming population, only 40% are male. Women giving an excellent opportunity for the farmers to are the predominant farmers in The Gambia; in increase rice production and productivity. Since fact 67% of the female population is engaged in the development of NERICA, numerous agricultural production (1993 census). endeavours have been made to widely Traditionally, women carry out rice-growing disseminate them across SSA. However, the initial activities during the wet season using hand focus has been placed on seven West African cultivation, which still remains the predominant “pilot” countries: Benin, The Gambia, Ghana, system of production. Guinea, Mali, Nigeria and Sierra Leone (WARDA, The Gambia and most sub-Saharan African 2002). nations import a large proportion of food grain The NERICA varieties were first introduced and other food commodities. For this reason, into The Gambia through participatory varietal governments have to use scarce foreign selection (PVS) in 1998. The PVS activities were exchange and households must generate enough initially hosted in three villages (Tujereng, wealth to be able to purchase their required food. Gifanga and Ntoroba). Tujereng and Gifanga are Although the government of The Gambia has located in the Western Region while Ntoroba is been committed to a policy of attaining rice self- situated in the North Bank Region of the country. sufficiency, while diversifying the incomes of the The NERICA varieties were first introduced in rural poor, as well as increasing agricultural these villages and later diffused to the production and conserving the natural resource surrounding near-by villages through farmers base of the overall environment on a sustainable own channels, National Agricultural Research basis, little progress has been achieved. Rice farm Institute (NARI) and Department of Agricultural production has been on the declined. Between Services (DAS). At present, the NERICA varieties 1994 and 2003, rice productivity declined from have spread across all agricultural regions of the 1.48 tonnes per hectare to 1.14 tonnes per hectare country. However, the adoption rates of NERICA (Bittage et al., 2002; Government of The Gambia: has not been assessed up to now for countries Diffusion and adoption of NERICA 143 like The Gambia. The objective of this paper is to village through focus group discussions. For present estimates of actual and potential adoption each rice variety listed, the respondents were rates and their determinants for the NERICA asked to identify the type of variety, ecology in varieties, based on findings from country-wide which the variety was cultivated, the person who survey. introduced the variety and if applicable the institution where the person come from, the METHODOLOGY introduction method used, variety height and cycle. This was followed by questions regarding Sampling. Multi-stage stratified random the characteristics of each variety. These sampling was used to select the villages and included the agronomic and morphological; post- farmers for the study. In the first stage, a list of all harvest; cooking and organoleptic characteristics (sampling frame) the rice growing villages where of each variety. NERICA seed were disseminated (NERICA The ‘farmer questionnaire’ was administered villages) was obtained from the cereal programme after the selection of rice farmers in each village. of the National Agricultural Research Institute After each enumerator obtained a copy of the (NARI). This was later stratified between other full list of the village varieties, the farmers were villages where NERICA seeds where not then asked whether they knew each of the listed disseminated (“non-NERICA villages”). The varieties. If the answer to the question was yes, survey included five NERICA villages and five then the farmer was asked whether he or she had non-NERICA villages in each agricultural region cultivated the variety in the last five years (2002 except Western Region where ten NERICA and to 2006). The knowledge of the variety was ten non-NERICA villages were selected. The defined as a yes answer to the first question and NERICA villages were the first identified in each the adoption as the cultivation of the variety. This agricultural region, followed by a random was followed by questions regarding the socio- selection of non-NERICA villages within a radius economic and demographic characteristics of of 5-10 kilometers.