CGIAR - Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops in Africa (SARD-SC)

Rice value chain: Highlights of Achievements & Perspectives 

Mid‐Term Review 2015

5‐6 May 2015, AfricaRice, Cotonou, Benin

• SARD-SC Institutional arrangement

• Rice value chain implementation process

• Project Components & Achievements

• Lessons learnt

• Procurement

• Finance

• Perspectives: fine-tuning and proposed changes (immediate proposed changes and possible 2nd phase interventions)

Focus of the Presentation & Discusion

Rice Value ChainBudget: about US$15 million over 5 years (2012 - 2016)

Funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB)

Executing Agency: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)

Implementing Agencies: IITA (maize and cassava), ICARDA (wheat), AfricaRice (rice)

Contractual Arrangement: IFPRI assessment of farmer organizations and contractual arrangements

► SARD-SC Components: Generate agricultural technologies and innovations Disseminate technologies and innovations Capacity strengthening Efficient Project Management

SARD-SC rice value chain beneficiary countries 11 Rice beneficiary  countries  in West, Earstern & Southern Africa

Benin

Côte d’Ivoire

Niger

Senegal

Ghana

Nigeria

Sierra Leone

Ethiopia

Uganda

Tanzania

Madagascar

AfricaRice SARD-SC implementation process

• Rice Sector Development Hubs

• Rice Task Force (TF) mechanism:– Rice Breeding– Rice Agronomy– Rice Processing and value addition– Rice Mechanization– Policy– Gender in Rice Research and Development

• Innovation Platform (IP) in rice value chain

• Key actors: rice value chain stakeholders (farmers, entrepreneurs, processors, extension & NGOs, traders, micro‐finance and banks, transporters, policy, research, consumers, media)

Rice Sector Development Hubs in SARD‐SC rice beneficiary countries 

Component I: Technology and innovation generation

Constraints to rice production and yield gap

Major constraints: Access to credit, market, Inputs; weeds, birds and rodents, diseases and insects, drought/, flooding, poor water management, poor soil quality (e.g. N and P), iron toxicity, salinity, seeds, labor shortage.

Yield gaps (difference between optimal yield and average yield) in all the rice growing environments was more than 2 t/ha

Average rice yield was higher in irrigated lowland than other rice growing environments.

Testing of weeders►Prototype agricultural innovations

• Over 50 innovations tested/adapted (mechanical weeders, seeder,transplanter, grid line makers, NutrientManager, RiceAdvice,Herbicide inventory, water management practices

Testing mechanical weeders

weeders

Farmers perception of rice weeders% farmers preferring the weeders relative to their own weed management practices

Commonly selected weeders by Women farmers

Ring hoe Testing of ring hoe

Straight-spike weeder Testing of straight-spike weeder

Facilitating inter-commodity technology & innovation sharing and learning:Testing rice weeders on cassava

RiceAdvice

RiceAdvice (Android app-based decision support tool (does not require internet connection)

• One season work in Kano, Nigeria increased rice yield by 1 t/ha compared to farmer’s practices

• 8 SARD-SC rice beneficiary countries (Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Tanzania, and Madagascar)are validating the RiceAdvice tool

• 79 popular varieties collected through the rice breeding Task Force and are being characterized on-farm with farmers in the rice Hubs to develop variety-specific recommendations

• 3 improved parboiling vessels from INRAB‐Benin, IRAD‐Cameroon and CSIR‐FRI inGhana have undergone validation trials at AfricaRice

• GEM Parboiler (Grain quality enhancer, Energy efficient, Durable material)undergoing test with women processors

INRAB Benin Parboiler

FRI Ghana Parboiler

GEM Parboiler

Rice Parboilers Tested & Improved

• 4 rice husk gasifier stoves are being evaluated at AfricaRice

• Studies on the thermal efficiencies of the stoves have been completed.

• 3 of the stoves (Rua, Viet, Paul Olivier) will be tested at household level

• 1 Metal mayon will be tested at the level of women parboilers to receive end-user feedback for further improvement

Stoves using rice husk

Rua Viet Paul Olivier Metal Mayon

• Parboiling pilot plant and multimedia tools in collaboration withMcGill University:

– Women innovation Platform (IP) actors from the Glazoue rice Hub, researchscientists from INRAB, the University of Abomey-Calavi and Africa Rice ondemonstration trial

• Demonstration of small scale parboiling pilot plants at AfricaRice, Cotonou

Parboiling pilot plant

• Multi-piston briquetting machine developed. Test on its performance have been completed

• Briquettes have been produced: (i) husk-bran only, (ii) husk-bran-palm press fibre, (iii) husk-bran-palm press sludge, (iv) husk biochar-clay

• Tests are ongoing on the energy value of the briquettes, burning efficiencies, and physical properties

Multi-piston briquette machine

• National partners developed the first version of a basket of GoodAgricultural Practices (GAP) in all the SARD-SC rice beneficiarycountries

• GAP showed significant yield gains over farmer practice under rainfedlowland and upland conditions but not irrigated

Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) developed by the NARS

Component II: Technology and Innovation Dissemination

• Out-scaling of the ASI thresher started in Nigeria (18 fabricated) and in Benin (2 fabricated for Songhai and AfricaRice, Cotonourespectively)

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• Drawings, Templates and Manufacturing Kits are being prepared for dissemination in SARD-SC and non SARD-SC countries

ASI Thresher

ATAT (ASI) Threshers fabricated by HanighaNigeria Limited Kaduna, Nigeria

Packaging of locally produced milled rice in Benin, Nigeria and Tanzania

Packaging materials of locally produced commercial rice grain in Benin, Nigeria and Tanzania (%)

Market niche of locally produced rice

Evidence based consumer preference of locally produced rice inCote d’Ivoire

AWARDED for marketing study on locally produced rice

Ms Gaudiose Mujawamariya (Centre Right)and Esther Leah Achandi (Centre Left)

Locally produced rice in the global rice science agenda

Young Rice Scientists Award:  4th International Rice Congress 2014 in Bangkok, Thailand

Foundation seed production in partnership with indigenous small-to-medium private seed enterprises

• About 3.6 tonne of improved rice varieties (5 upland and 8 lowland) produced in Mbe - Bouake

• 2.7 tonne delivered to FASO KABA seed enterprise for further production of certified seed and sale to farmers

• Similar work with NARO and Private seed enterprises in Uganda

Private seed enterprises in partnership with research: access to quality seed and entrepreneurship development

Stakeholder Change brought by Innovation Platforms (IPs) in rice value chain

Before IP With IPFarmers/Producers 3.5 t/ha 5.0 t/ha

Women Parboilers (BanteIP)

1.0 t paddy/month (during   harvest) 

10 t paddy/month (during harvest)

ESOP processor (Bante IP) 1.5 t paddy/day(during   harvest)  5 t paddy/day(during   harvest) 

Processors (SONAPRA Millers)

500 t paddy (during   harvest)  1000 t paddy(during   harvest) 

Traders sold 15 t/month sold 20‐25 t/month

Mini Rizerie (Glazoue IP) 25% increased income 50% increased income

Extension (CARDER) reached 100 rice farmers reached 250 rice farmers

NGO‐MRJC reached 4 villages reached 9 villages

Micro‐Finance (CLCAM) CFA 10 million CFA 21 million

Policy (Local Government) Cotton + Maize as cash crop Cotton + Maize + Rice as cash crop

Innovation Platforms (IPs) improving livelihoods of smallholder rice farmers and entrepreneurs: Glazoue Rice Hub in Benin

Component III: Capacity strengthening

• 7 PhDs scholars awarded from Benin, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda and Togo in agronomy, mechanization, policy & institutions, and gender through collaboration with African Universities & AfricaRice supervisors

• 11 MSc students from Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone and Tanzania

• 12 NARS IP facilitators trained to establish and facilitate functional IPs in the RiceHubs

• over 451 NARS partners competence and skills enhanced on crop management, marketing, integrated rice management (IRM), finance, data analysis, Knowledge management and multi-stakeholder processes in rice value chain

• 21.0 – 36.4 % of women benefited from competence and skills enhancement

Training: Competence and skills enhancement

• AfricaRice Regional Training Center in Saint Louis, Senegal upgraded and equipped

Enabling infrastructure to enhance competencies and skills of the IP actors in rice value chain

Component IV: Efficient Project management

Automated electronic devices-smartphone and tablets used to collect baseline data and information

• Base line report available

• IPR (Implementation Progress Report) updated and available

Information and Data collation and analysis

• Conducted M&E and learning facilitation support to NARS partners in Niger, Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Benin, Uganda, Ethiopia, Senegal, Ghana and Madagascar

• 7 Posters , 1 flyer and other promotional items produced and shared to inform and educate rice value chain stakeholders about the SARD-SC project

• AfricaRice Science Week video including SARD-SC available and viewed through TV5MONDE AFRIQUE, TV5MONDE EUROPE, TV5MONDE CANADA

M&E and Learning

IFPRI assignment: Contractual arrangement and farmer organizations in rice value chain• Review and assess the relative performances of the different formal and informal

contractual arrangements for rice commercialization• Identify a select number of promising formal contractual arrangements

– Secondary data generally too old– LSMS (Living Standard Measurement Study) was not design to represent rice

situation in Nigeria. So the results from the LSMS will not be representative of each state

• Ogun producing rice from 2000 to 2009 and Osun producing rice in 2008 and 2009. Surprising to report these two states are not producing rice in 2011

Recommendation:• Economists and M&E specialists of the 3 Centers (IITA, ICARDA, AfricaRice) should

meet to deepen discussion on the IFPRI study and propose the way forward

• Information and data generated through the use of secondary data should be validated with the active participation/representation of rice value chain stakeholders

• Continuing with such activity through IFPRI should be advised by the Economists and M&E of the Centers

IFPRI study

• Increase follow-up country visits to review NARI financial justification of project funds (SOEs & receipts) and improve project disbursement rate

• Coaching and mentoring of Innovation Platform (IP) facilitators and practitioners to improve competencies and skills of the IP actors on starting and facilitating functional IPs in rice value chain

• M & E and learning to assess and document the quality of interaction of the IP actors, system performance, and transformational change brought by the IPs

• Systematic consultation, information sharing, and consensus building among project implementing partners to improve teamwork and collective action

• AfDB mainstream project start-up phase of at least six months in project design to enable learning-by-doing on best institutional practice by similar but different organizations and partners in adapting to new rules, procedures, and processes

• The duration of the current project evaluation process did not provide sufficient time for interaction and learning among project stakeholders. In future, invest pragmatic timelines in carrying out project evaluation in line with the widely known AfDBpractice.

Key Lessons Learnt

• Procurement methods in the PAR not consistently responsive to the needs of suppliers / clients and thus the need to keep a heads-up and agree with the bank on acceptable alternative procedures such a direct negotiations and ‘Forced Accounts’

• Some degree of reluctance on the part of some suppliers and others service providers to Bank’s terms of payments

• Bidding document administratively too heavy / demanding for suppliers to comply and respond on a timely manner

Key Lessons Learnt

Thank you

Merci