HOW REVOLUTIONARY IS THE “NERICA REVOLUTION”? EVIDENCE FROM UGANDA

A new high‐yielding upland rice variety known as New Rice for Africa (NERICA) has been widely recognized as a promising technology for addressing the food shortage in sub‐Saharan Africa. However, there has been no on‐farm yield data to support this optimism. The present study attempts to assess the actual and potential yield of NERICA in Uganda where it has been introduced recently. We found that NERICA's yield is higher (2.5 tons) for farmers who had rice‐growing experience than those who had no previous experience (1.7 tons). These findings strongly indicate that strengthening training, extension, and other supporting systems is the key to the success of the “NERICA revolution” in this country.     

Why did farmers stop cultivating NERICA upland rice varieties in central Benin?

New Rice for Africa (NERICA) was developed by the Africa Rice Center by crossing high-yielding Asian rice (Oryza sativa L.) with locally adapted African rice (Oryza glaberrima Steud.). Community-based seed production of NERICA varieties was introduced in a village in central Benin in 2006 through seed dissemination projects. It was reported that high-adoption rates of these varieties were mainly due to high demand by development projects for seed dissemination, and to incentives (i.e. selling the rice seed at a higher than local market price to a local extension service) for farmers to grow NERICA varieties. A follow-up survey was undertaken after the seed dissemination projects ended to examine the change in the cultivation of NERICA varieties. About half of the farmers had ceased cultivation of NERICA varieties in 2011. The reasons for abandonment were the combined effects of reduced seed demand and low yields, which were attributed to a lack of access to credit and training on NERICA cultivation practices. The majority of the farmers did not abandon rice cultivation, but grew other high-yielding varieties, including one aromatic variety for which there was market demand. We conclude that to avoid immediate reductions in the adoption of new varieties after projects are terminated and to enhance agricultural sustainability, the varieties should be introduced in conjunction with appropriate group training on their cultivation, and the project should target farmers who do not have off-farm businesses. Furthermore, access to credit should also be enhanced, and the marketability of the varieties should be assessed.     

DIFFUSION AND ADOPTION OF NERICA RICE VARIETIES IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE

Because of their promises to combine the high yielding quality of the Asian rice with the local adaptability of the African rice, the New Rice for Africa (NERICA) rice varieties, which have won its creator Monty Jones the 2004 World Food Prize, are raising hopes for increased rice productivity in Africa. We use data from a sample of 1,500 farmers to consistently estimate the NERICA actual and potential adoption rates and determinants in Côte d’Ivoire. The NERICA actual adoption rate in 2000 is estimated to be 4%, although its potential adoption rate is estimated at 27%. The estimated 23% population “adoption gap” (difference between the 27% potential adoption rate and the 4% actual adoption rate) in 2000, which is because of solely to the limited diffusion of the NERICA in the population in 2000, suggests a large potential adoption impact that could be realized by a successful NERICA dissemination project.