Major rice ecologies in Ghana include rainfed lowlands, upland, and irrigated systems. Rainfed lowlands are distributed across all regions but upland is concentrated in Volta and Western regions. There are 22 irrigation schemes but only 13 are used for rice. Irrigated ecology yields the highest but all face challenges from abiotic and biotic stresses. Primary processing involves drying, threshing, winnowing and storage while secondary processing includes parboiling and milling. Constraints include poor quality paddy, inefficient equipment and lack of infrastructure. Recent technologies focus on improved handling, packaging, branding and linkages between value chain actors.

1. P-N. T Johnson , J. Gayin &
R. K. Bam

2. Introduction
Source: Olaf Kula and Emmanuel Dormon, 2009. Global Food Security Response- Ghana Rice Study
microREPORT #156

3. Major Rice Ecologies

4. Geographical distribution of Rice Ecologies
in Ghana
• Rainfed lowlands are distributed in all 10
administrative regions and across all the agro-
ecological zones
• Upland: Distributed across all the regions except
Greater Accra. However, upland rice production is
concentrated mostly in Volta and Western regions
• Irrigated: There are 22 irrigation schemes
distributed in nine regions. Only 13 schemes are
being used for rice production

5. Table 1: Categorization of paddy fields in Ghana
Lowland rain- Upland rain- Irrigated Total
fed fed
Planted Area 93,750 18,750 10,200 122,700
(Ha)
Paddy 2.4 1.0 4.5 2.4
(MT/Ha)
Paddy 224,700 18,750 45,900 289,350
Production
(MT)
% of Total 76 15 8 100
Area
% of Total 78 6 16 100
Production
Source: “The study on the Promotion of Domestic Rice in the Republic of Ghana,”
MoFA and JICA, (Final Report, March 2008).

6. Table 2: Distribution of irrigated rice schemes in
Ghana
Name of scheme Location (Region) Agro-ecological Main biotic stresses
zone
Afife Volta Coastal savannah salinity
Aveyime Volta Coastal savannah salinity
Anum valley Ashanti Forest Submergence, Fe toxicity
Botanga Northern Savannah
Golinga Northern Savannah
Libga Northern Savannah
Ashiaman Greater Accra Coastal savannah Salinity
Dawhenya Greater Accra Coastal savannah Salinity
Okyereko Central Coastal savannah Salinity, Fe toxicity
Kikam Western Rain forest Fe toxicity
Vea (ICOUR) Upper East Guinea savannah
Kpong Greater Accra Coatal savannah
Tono (ICOUR) Upper East Guinea savannah

7. Rain-fed Lowland Ecology
• This ecology has water management problems as a
result of frequent flooding from ground water and
precipitation.
• When well developed (with simple water
management techniques) and mechanized, its yield
potential can be substantially enhanced.
• Studies undertaken in 1996 (confirmed in 2000)
showed that the rain-fed lowland ecology is the most
profitable for rice production provided water
management and cultural practices are improved

8. Irrigated Ecology
• This ecology records the highest rice yields
• Levels of technology utilization are higher
than in both rain-fed lowland and upland
ecologies (improved land preparation,
improved varieties, fertilizer application and
weed control through water management).

9. Rain-fed Upland Ecology
• This ecology is characterized by an erratic
rainfall pattern.
• There are also problems of weed competition,
low soil fertility and pest damage
• Rice varieties suitable for the ecology are short
duration and drought-tolerant types

10. Table 3a: Major Abiotic & Biotic Stresses for Rice
Ecologies
Ecology
Abiotic Stress Biotic Stress
Drought, poor seedling Weeds, brown spot,
Upland
establishment, phosphorus, narrow leaf spot, blast,
N and Zn deficiencies bird damage, stem
borers, nematodes

11. Table 3b: Major Abiotic & Biotic Stresses for Rice
Ecologies
Ecology
Abiotic Stress Biotic Stress
Submergence, flash Weeds, brown spot,
Rainfed floods, terminal drought, narrow leaf spot,
Lowlands Fe toxicity, salinity, blast, bird damage,
declining soil fertility stem borers,
nematodes
Irrigated Salinity, Fe toxicity Weeds, bird damage,
stem borers,
nematodes

12. Rice Processing (post production)
• Primary Processing
– Drying
– Threshing
– Winnowing
– Temporary storage/
– milling
• Secondary Processing
– Parboiling
– Rice flour production (rice-based products)

13. Primary Processing
– Pre-drying Primary processing occurs in all
the ecologies in the major rice
– Bulking growing regions in Ghana. In the
– Threshing irrigated fields there is better
access to machinery/equipment.
– Winnowing
– Drying Processing Standards are
– Paddy storage therefore high. Small holder
farmers in the rain-fed lowland
and upland ecologies manually
engage in these primary
processing activities

14. Secondary Processing
•In very remote area milling is still
done with Steel hullers
•Individuals own mini rubber roll
– Parboiling mills and offer services on custom
basis
– Milling
•Parboiling of paddy rice is done
– Grading exclusively by women processes in
– Packaging the Northern part of the country
where rain-fed lowland rice
& marketing production is predominant
•Standard mills quipped with
destoners, graders occur in irrigated
areas

15. Major Processing Constraints
• The poor quality of paddy produced
• Inadequate and inefficient processing and milling
equipment resulting in poor quality milled rice
• Inadequate and poor post harvest infrastructure
(e.g.. storage/warehousing facilities -refer to pic
below)
• Poor Access roads and utility services in
production & processing areas
• Inadequate funding/credit facilities for value chain
actors
• Others - Market access

17. Recent achievements on technology
development - processing & value addition
• Capacity building of value chain
actors to produce quality rice
through improved post
production handling of rice
• Packaging, branding and
Promotion of the locally
produced rice (comes with its
additional cost) e.g. Gbewa,
Worawora, Rhema Perfume

18. Recent achievements on technology development -
processing & value addition (con’t)
• Building of linkages between value chain actors
• Installation of standard mills at strategic positions
(through projects and government efforts)
• Capacity building of artisanal parboilers in
improved parboiling techniques

19. On-going research activities processing
& value addition
1. Development of Rice Varieties with Enhanced
Nitrogen-Use Efficiency and Salt Tolerance (NUE-
EST-AATF)
• Milling and Sensory tests on Nerica 4 and
Lowland Nerica 9
1. Expanded Rice Programme
• Improved post harvest handling and marketing
1. Enhancing Food Security in Africa through the
Improvement of Rice Post-Harvest Handling,
Marketing and the Development of New Rice-Based
Products

20. Merci
Thank you