Rice is an emerging crop in Ethiopia and one of the economically important crops in Amhara region. It is cultivated particularly in Fogera district, where the government has also set up a National Rice Research Centre.
Rice is mainly consumed by middle and low-income consumers as rice flour mixed with teff to make injera. The sector is still at the infant stage in furnishing the domestic market and far from competing with imported rice.
For farm households in Bahir Dar Zuria, Dera, and Fogera districts, growing rice is a major source of income and livelihood, as the rice produced is used for both consumption and sale. Rice production involves two products: paddy rice and rice seed, the former being much more commonly produced by AgroBIG farmers. On average, farm households in the target area produce 0.3 ha of paddy rice, with an average yield of about 47 quintals per ha (2020).
Major constraints in rice production include lack of access to quality seed and other inputs, poor agricultural practices, poor perception of local rice, lack of appropriate post-harvesting technologies, and lack of quality control systems. Value addition is restricted to sorting, while packaging is hardly practiced.
Read about AgroBIG interventions in the rice value chain:
Extract from the Rice Value Chain Analysis
Links to News pieces:
- How AgroBIG has helped forge market linkages between buyers and farmers to supply produce including rice: here.