1. OVER VIEW OF UGANDA’S RICE AGRONOMY,
POST-HARVET AND VALUE ADDITION
by
Candia Alphonse, and David Nanfumba
10/15/2012 1

2. Importance of agriculture to Ugandan
economy
 Agriculture and forestry contributes 14.6%
of GDP (UBOS & MOFPED, 2010)
 Employing about 80% of the population
 IFPRI in 2008 showed that, if agriculture in
Uganda grows by 6%, poverty would fall
from current 31.1% to 17.9% by 2015
 This would be well below 28% MDG target
 Unfortunately the growth rate is 2 – 3%
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3. Strategy by MAAIF to Improve Agric
 GoU has developed National Development Plan
as Policy frame Work for development
 MAAIF consequently developed DSIP
(Development Sector Investment Plan)
 Due to adequate internal and regional market,
MAAIF has considered Rice as the second important
cereal crop for investment
 MAAIF has consequently developed Rice Strategic
Plan with a secretariat at MAAIF Headquarters
 There is Steering Committee and Technical Working
Team
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4. Changes in rice production levels
Rice production '000 tons
250
200
200 190
158 165
150
100
Consumption per
capita ≈ 3.8kg
50 Consumption per
capita ≈ 8.5kg
0
2007 2008 2009 2010
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5. 1600
Uganda rice productivity trend 1999 - 2009
(FAOSTAT; 2011)
1550
1534.9
1513.9
1500 1500 1500 1500
Yield (Kg/Ha)
1450
1400 1397.1
1362.8 1361.3
1350
1335.9
1311.6
1300 1301.1
1250
1200
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Year
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6. Rice ecologies
Rice production Share of total area
Ecology
Rain fed upland 43% (approx
40,000ha)
Lowland – irrigated 57% (approx
Lowland - rain fed 70,000ha)
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7. Major rice production areas
Northern and
Rain fed Mid-northern
(upland) rice AE zones
Swamp,
Lake Albert AE irrigated and
zone Rain fed rice
Eastern and
South eastern
Swamp and AE zones
irrigated
rice
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8. Major constraints
 Farmers constraints
 Inadequate knowledge in rice farming
enterprise (agronomic, PH and marketing)
 Frequent and prolonged droughts affecting rice
output and quality, and eventually proceeds
from rice industry
 Lack of cost-effective equipment for various
rice farming operations from production to
post-harvest
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9.  Rice diseases especially blast, yellow
mottle virus, grain rot, sheath rot, etc,
 Rice pests especially birds, rodents,
termites
 Poor quality & expensive seeds. The
seeds in the market have low germination
percentage, of mixed variety, etc
 Inadequate capital for investment
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10.  Rice processors (millers and other
food processors)
 Inadequate knowledge and skills in rice processing
 Low quality and poor performing rice mills and lack
of other rice milling technologies
 Inadequate capital for investment
 Low quality and inadequate paddy
 Low quality and market value of milled rice
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11. Recent achievements in tech dev’
 Generated agronomic
practices for new lowland
varieties that will be
released next year (2012)
 Adapted light weight line
marker for planting upland rice varieties
 Developed Animal drawn
planter for upland rice varieties
 Adapted mouldboard plough
for single axle tractors
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12.  Developed light weight
motorized rice thresher
(though farmers are using it
requires some technical
improvement)
 Adapted rice fissure and
chalky grain analyser for
use in laboratory and
rice millers
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13.  Generated extensive baseline information
especially in PH sector which is now helping to
guide investments in improving processing
industry. Now we know:
 PH processing techns, constraints and opportunities
 Physical quality and safety of local paddy
 Physical quality and safety of locally milled rice
 Physical and market value loss along PH value chain
(except storage) for lowland rice ecology
 Consumer preference among Ugandan consumers
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14. 10/15/2012 14

15. On-going research in PH
 Development of improved open-sun drying
method for local rice varieties
 Development of Destoner and integration into
rice processing chain
 Development of implements for proven power
tillers for Ugandan soil conditions.
 Several activities identified for technology
development and information under CIDA proj.
 Developing appropriate weed management
practices

16. Capacity of agronomy and post-harvest
 Agronomy
 Few human resource (2 scientists, 4
technicians)
 Fully developed regional rice research and
training centre at Namulonge (NaCRRI)
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17.  Post-harvest and value
addition
 The current capacity stands
as follows:
 Few trained human resource (2
engineers, 3 food scientists, 4
technicians)
 Partially equipped laboratory
and engineering workshops
 Partially equipped PHRTDT unit
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18. Linkages between research and extension
 Research has linkages with following
extension services:
 National Agricultural Advisory Services
(NAADS)
 Several NGOs (esp SG-2000, )
 Farmer organizations
 Local governments
 The parent ministry of agriculture
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19. We THANK YOU!
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