development
projects
locations South Sudan, Uganda date May 2011 – September 2013 project team Noah Phiri Martin Kimani Richard Musebe
establishing NERICA rice in post-conflict Uganda and South Sudan
NERICA (New Rice for Africa) rice – with high yields and ability to withstand low moisture conditions – is already in use in parts of Uganda where it provides a source of income and food in post conflict areas in the North. It will do the same in the new Republic of South Sudan.
so what’s the problem? In these post-conflict areas, families need to both feed themselves and earn a living. Grown sustainably, NERICA rice has the ability to increase food security and reduce the need for imports.
what is this project doing? The overall goal of this project is to enhance sustainable productivity, value addition and competitiveness of smallholder NERICA production systems in post conflict areas. Through this goal of sustainable production we are ensuring sustainability and improved market aspects, such as competitiveness. The goal therefore focuses on; improved food security – because rice is a staple crop, and improved income – because rice is a crop in demand in the market.
KNOWLEDGE FOR LIFE
There are 4 specific objectives that the project is focusing on: • sharing information between different people in the rice value chain through innovative ways, and fostering alliances and joint action to increase production of NERICA. • the team is helping to strengthen the value chain of NERICA seed. Sustainable production of NERICA requires an accessible and reliable supply of quality seed, lack of which has repeatedly been identified as a constraint. • we are promoting production and utilization of technologies to improve the seed systems in place, with a view to increasing production of NERICA. • best practices, experiences and lessons learnt on how people adopt these new practices are being documented and disseminated. By using well-established methods (particularly outcome mapping), we are providing gender specific information that is informing us and others to do this elsewhere, as well as other technologies in post-conflict areas.
results so far We have carried out the rice value chain analysis which has helped us understand the gaps in the chain from seed production to the market, and are currently working to bridge the gaps. Certified seed has been produced in order to grow NERICA in Northern Uganda and South Sudan. In addition, a communication strategy was developed which is allowing the sharing of information. Materials for all stakeholders about NERICA technologies were produced and disseminated. These include a revised quality rice seed production manual and NERICA posters in English and local languages. We have also prepared and trained smallholder farmers so they can effectively participate in the programme. In addition, we have facilitated local seed companies and community seed producers to produce NERICA seed. In South Sudan we are supporting registration and release of NERICA varieties (which include verification trials, refining the draft seed act and providing links between the Government of South Sudan and Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa’s Policy Analysis and Advocacy Programme (ASARECA PAAP). Here we also want to promote distribution and marketing of NERICA seed by briefing and providing promotional materials to NGOs, public institutions, agrodealers and other potential stakeholders. We are bringing together all stakeholders in the rice value chain to share the NERICA technologies and experiences.
www.cabi.org/nerica partners National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), but implemented by National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI) Government of Southern Sudan, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Directorate of Research, Training & Extension (MoAF/GoSS) Action Africa Help International (AAHI) Farm Inputs Care Centre (FICA) LTD
sponsors Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA)
contact CABI, ICRAF Complex, United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, PO Box 633-00621, Nairobi, Kenya T: +254 20 72 24450 F: +254 20 71 22150 E: africa@cabi.org www.cabi.org/africa
ID-NERICA-06-12
Noah Phiri, Project Manager