THE NIGERIAN RICE ECONOMY IN A COMPETITIVE WORLD: CONSTRAINTS, OPPORTUNITIES AND STRATEGIC CHOICES Rice production systems in Nigeria: A survey By Olaf Erenstein, Frederic Lançon, S.O. Akande, S.O. Titilola, G. Akpokodje and O.O. Ogundele1 September 2003 West Africa Rice Development Association (WARDA)2 Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire 1 The first two authors are respectively economist, WARDA-Bamako & economist, CIRAD-Montpellier (former WARDA economist). Subsequent authors are economists of NISER-Ibadan 2 The study is part of a USAID-funded project and jointly implemented by WARDA and NISER. The views expressed in this report are those of individual scientists and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID, WARDA or NISER. Acknowledgement The present study was jointly implemented by WARDA and NISER within the context of the USAID- funded project “The Nigerian Rice Economy In A Competitive World: Constraints, Opportunities And Strategic Choices”. The implementation of the survey benefited from the assistance of Yussuf Rotimi Rabiu, Zakariyah Olayiwola Amoo, Gbadebo Odularu, Michael Tiletswen, and Nuhu Sadiq Bullow as the five survey supervisors recruited specifically for the survey. The implementation was made possible by the assistance provided by the Agricultural Development Programs (ADPs) in Niger, Kaduna, Ekiti, Benue and Taraba state and their willingness to make available as enumerators Abdullahi Mohamm, Abubakar N. Sani, Adebiyi B. S., Dada J. O., Daniel Laah, Fidelis Patrick, Friday Joshua Ub, Isah Y.Z., John Angwe, Mathew Monshari, Mohammed Abubaka, Simon Ater, and Tanimu Dauda. The views expressed in this report are those of individual scientists and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID, WARDA or NISER. The Nigerian Rice Economy In A Competitive World: Constraints, Opportunities And Strategic Choices Rice production systems in Nigeria: A survey - Page ii - Table of contents 1 Introduction......................................................................................................................................1 2 Methodology....................................................................................................................................2 3 Characteristics of rice producers......................................................................................................4 3.1 Selected characteristics of rice production enterprise..............................................................4 3.2 Resource base of rice producers ..............................................................................................5 3.2.1 Household composition and labor ...................................................................................5 3.2.2 Land .................................................................................................................................6 3.2.3 Capital..............................................................................................................................7 3.3 Economic activities of rice producers....................................................................................10 3.3.1 Crop production.............................................................................................................11 3.3.2 Livestock production .....................................................................................................13 3.3.3 Non-agricultural activities .............................................................................................14 3.3.4 Relative importance of activities ...................................................................................14 3.4 Dynamics of rice enterprise...................................................................................................15 3.5 Typology of rice producers....................................................................................................18 3.6 Discussion..............................................................................................................................21 4 Rice production characteristics......................................................................................................22 4.1 Rice production practices at field level..................................................................................22 4.1.1 Rice ecology and water management ............................................................................22 4.1.2 Crop rotation and fallowing...........................................................................................24 4.1.3 Land preparation............................................................................................................26 4.1.4 Crop establishment ........................................................................................................27 4.1.5 Weed management.........................................................................................................28 4.1.6 Fertilizer application......................................................................................................28 4.1.7 Pest control ....................................................................................................................29 4.1.8 Harvest and threshing ....................................................................................................29 4.1.9 Rice cropping calendar ..................................................................................................31 4.2 Gender division of labor ........................................................................................................32 4.3 Typology of rice production systems.....................................................................................32 4.4 Technological change ............................................................................................................36 4.4.1 Institutions and technological change............................................................................36 4.4.2 Rice varietal use.............................................................................................................37 4.4.3 External input use ..........................................................................................................39 4.5 Reported production problems...............................................................................................41 4.6 Discussion..............................................................................................................................42 5 Rice utilization, processing & marketing ......................................................................................44 5.1 Rice utilization.......................................................................................................................44 5.2 Rice processing......................................................................................................................45 5.2.1 Rice processing strategies..............................................................................................45 5.2.2 Parboiling.......................................................................................................................46 5.2.3 Rice milling ...................................................................................................................47 5.3 Rice marketing & storage ......................................................................................................48 5.3.1 Rice marketing...............................................................................................................48 5.3.2 Rice storage ...................................................................................................................48 5.3.3 Rice price - quality considerations.................................................................................49 5.4 Reported marketing problems................................................................................................50 5.5 Discussion..............................................................................................................................51 6 Economics of rice production........................................................................................................53 6.1 Production costs.....................................................................................................................53 6.1.1 Labor use .......................................................................................................................53 6.1.2 Labor cost ......................................................................................................................54 6.1.3 Input cost .......................................................................................................................56 The Nigerian Rice Economy In A Competitive World: Constraints, Opportunities And Strategic Choices Rice production systems in Nigeria: A survey - Page iii - 6.1.4 Other costs .....................................................................................................................57 6.2 Revenue .................................................................................................................................58 6.2.1 Revenue from paddy......................................................................................................58 6.2.2 Revenue from maize ......................................................................................................59 6.3 Performance