The document summarizes the achievements and perspectives of the SARD-SC rice value chain project in Africa. The project has: 1) Tested over 50 agricultural innovations to address rice production constraints and close yield gaps across Africa. This includes weeders, seeders, decision support tools, and improved rice processing technologies. 2) Disseminated improved technologies and best practices through rice sector hubs, reaching over 250,000 farmers. This has increased yields, incomes, and market access for smallholders. 3) Built the capacity of over 450 African researchers and stakeholders through training programs. This has strengthened national agricultural research and innovation systems. 4) Effectively managed project implementation through monitoring and evaluation

1. CGIAR - Support to Agricultural Research for
Development of Strategic Crops in Africa (SARD-SC)
Rice value chain: Highlights of
Achievements & Perspectives
Mid‐Term Review 2015
5‐6 May 2015, AfricaRice, Cotonou, Benin

2. • SARD-SC Institutional arrangement
• Rice value chain implementation process
• Project Components & Achievements
• Lessons learnt
• Procurement
• Finance
• Perspectives: fine-tuning and proposed changes
(immediate proposed changes and possible 2nd phase
interventions)
Focus of the Presentation & Discusion

3. Rice Value Chain
Budget: about US$15 million over 5 years (2012 - 2016)
Funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB)
Executing Agency: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
Implementing Agencies: IITA (maize and cassava), ICARDA (wheat),
AfricaRice (rice)
Contractual Arrangement: IFPRI assessment of farmer organizations
and contractual arrangements
► SARD-SC Components:
 Generate agricultural technologies and innovations
 Disseminate technologies and innovations
 Capacity strengthening
 Efficient Project Management

4. SARD-SC rice value chain beneficiary countries
11 Rice beneficiary countries in
West, Earstern & Southern Africa
 Benin
 Côte d’Ivoire
 Niger
 Senegal
 Ghana
 Nigeria
 Sierra Leone
 Ethiopia
 Uganda
 Tanzania
 Madagascar

5. AfricaRice SARD-SC implementation process
• Rice Sector Development Hubs
• Rice Task Force (TF) mechanism:
– Rice Breeding
– Rice Agronomy
– Rice Processing and value addition
– Rice Mechanization
– Policy
– Gender in Rice Research and Development
• Innovation Platform (IP) in rice value chain
• Key actors: rice value chain stakeholders (farmers, entrepreneurs, processors,
extension & NGOs, traders, micro‐finance and banks, transporters, policy,
research, consumers, media)

6. Rice Sector Development Hubs in SARD‐SC rice beneficiary
countries

7. Component I: Technology and innovation
generation

8. Constraints to rice production and yield gap
Major constraints: Access to
credit, market, Inputs; weeds,
birds and rodents, diseases and
insects, drought/, flooding, poor
water management, poor soil
quality (e.g. N and P), iron
toxicity, salinity, seeds, labor
shortage.
Yield gaps (difference between
optimal yield and average yield)
in all the rice growing
environments was more than 2
t/ha
Average rice yield was higher in
irrigated lowland than other rice
growing environments.

9. Testing of weeders
►Prototype agricultural innovations
• Over 50 innovations tested/adapted (mechanical weeders, seeder,
transplanter, grid line makers, NutrientManager, RiceAdvice,
Herbicide inventory, water management practices
Testing mechanical weeders
weeders

10. Farmers perception of rice weeders
% farmers preferring the weeders relative to their own weed management
practices

11. Commonly selected weeders by Women farmers
Ring hoe Testing of ring hoe
Straight-spike weeder Testing of straight-spike weeder

12. Facilitating inter-commodity technology & innovation sharing and learning:
Testing rice weeders on cassava

13. RiceAdvice
RiceAdvice (Android app-based decision
support tool (does not require internet
connection)
• One season work in Kano, Nigeria increased
rice yield by 1 t/ha compared to farmer’s
practices
• 8 SARD-SC rice beneficiary countries
(Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra
Leone, Uganda, Tanzania, and Madagascar)
are validating the RiceAdvice tool
• 79 popular varieties collected through the
rice breeding Task Force and are being
characterized on-farm with farmers in the
rice Hubs to develop variety-specific
recommendations

14. • 3 improved parboiling vessels from INRAB‐Benin, IRAD‐Cameroon and CSIR‐FRI in
Ghana have undergone validation trials at AfricaRice
• GEM Parboiler (Grain quality enhancer, Energy efficient, Durable material)
undergoing test with women processors
INRAB Benin Parboiler
FRI Ghana Parboiler
GEM Parboiler
Rice Parboilers Tested & Improved

17. • 4 rice husk gasifier stoves are being evaluated at AfricaRice
• Studies on the thermal efficiencies of the stoves have been
completed.
• 3 of the stoves (Rua, Viet, Paul Olivier) will be tested at household
level
• 1 Metal mayon will be tested at the level of women parboilers to
receive end-user feedback for further improvement
Stoves using rice husk
Rua Viet Paul Olivier Metal Mayon

18. • Parboiling pilot plant and multimedia tools in collaboration with
McGill University:
– Women innovation Platform (IP) actors from the Glazoue rice Hub, research
scientists from INRAB, the University of Abomey-Calavi and Africa Rice on
demonstration trial
• Demonstration of small scale parboiling pilot plants at AfricaRice, Cotonou
Parboiling pilot plant

19. • Multi-piston briquetting machine developed. Test on its performance have
been completed
• Briquettes have been produced: (i) husk-bran only, (ii) husk-bran-palm
press fibre, (iii) husk-bran-palm press sludge, (iv) husk biochar-clay
• Tests are ongoing on the energy value of the briquettes, burning
efficiencies, and physical properties
Multi-piston briquette machine

20. • National partners developed the first version of a basket of Good
Agricultural Practices (GAP) in all the SARD-SC rice beneficiary
countries
• GAP showed significant yield gains over farmer practice under rainfed
lowland and upland conditions but not irrigated
Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) developed by the NARS

21. Component II: Technology and Innovation
Dissemination

22. • Out-scaling of the ASI thresher started in Nigeria (18 fabricated) and
in Benin (2 fabricated for Songhai and AfricaRice, Cotonou
respectively)
•
• Drawings, Templates and Manufacturing Kits are being prepared
for dissemination in SARD-SC and non SARD-SC countries
ASI Thresher
ATAT (ASI) Threshers fabricated by Hanigha
Nigeria Limited Kaduna, Nigeria

23. Packaging of locally produced milled rice in Benin, Nigeria and Tanzania
Packaging materials of locally produced commercial rice grain in Benin, Nigeria and
Tanzania (%)
Market niche of locally produced rice

24. Evidence based consumer preference of locally produced rice in
Cote d’Ivoire

25. AWARDED for marketing study on locally produced rice
Ms Gaudiose Mujawamariya (Centre Right)
and Esther Leah Achandi (Centre Left)
Locally produced rice in the global rice science agenda
Young Rice Scientists Award:
4th International Rice Congress
2014 in Bangkok, Thailand

26. Foundation seed production in partnership with indigenous small-to-medium
private seed enterprises
• About 3.6 tonne of improved rice varieties (5 upland and 8 lowland) produced in
Mbe - Bouake
• 2.7 tonne delivered to FASO KABA seed enterprise for further production of
certified seed and sale to farmers
• Similar work with NARO and Private seed enterprises in Uganda
Private seed enterprises in partnership with research: access to
quality seed and entrepreneurship development

27. Stakeholder Change brought by
Innovation Platforms (IPs) in rice value chain
Before IP With IP
Farmers/Producers 3.5 t/ha 5.0 t/ha
Women Parboilers (Bante
IP)
1.0 t paddy/month (during
harvest)
10 t paddy/month (during harvest)
ESOP processor (Bante IP) 1.5 t paddy/day(during harvest) 5 t paddy/day(during harvest)
Processors (SONAPRA
Millers)
500 t paddy (during harvest) 1000 t paddy(during harvest)
Traders sold 15 t/month sold 20‐25 t/month
Mini Rizerie (Glazoue IP) 25% increased income 50% increased income
Extension (CARDER) reached 100 rice farmers reached 250 rice farmers
NGO‐MRJC reached 4 villages reached 9 villages
Micro‐Finance (CLCAM) CFA 10 million CFA 21 million
Policy (Local Government) Cotton + Maize as cash crop Cotton + Maize + Rice as cash crop
Innovation Platforms (IPs) improving livelihoods of smallholder
rice farmers and entrepreneurs: Glazoue Rice Hub in Benin

28. Component III: Capacity strengthening

29. • 7 PhDs scholars awarded from Benin, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda and Togo
in agronomy, mechanization, policy & institutions, and gender through
collaboration with African Universities & AfricaRice supervisors
• 11 MSc students from Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire,
Sierra Leone and Tanzania
• 12 NARS IP facilitators trained to establish and facilitate functional IPs in
the RiceHubs
• over 451 NARS partners competence and skills enhanced on crop
management, marketing, integrated rice management (IRM), finance, data
analysis, Knowledge management and multi-stakeholder processes in rice
value chain
• 21.0 – 36.4 % of women benefited from competence and skills
enhancement
Training: Competence and skills enhancement

30. • AfricaRice Regional Training Center in Saint Louis, Senegal upgraded
and equipped
Enabling infrastructure to enhance competencies and
skills of the IP actors in rice value chain

31. Component IV: Efficient Project management

32.  Automated electronic devices-smartphone and tablets used to collect
baseline data and information
• Base line report available
• IPR (Implementation Progress Report) updated and available
Information and Data collation and analysis

33. • Conducted M&E and learning facilitation support to NARS partners in
Niger, Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Benin, Uganda, Ethiopia, Senegal, Ghana
and Madagascar
• 7 Posters , 1 flyer and other promotional items produced and shared to
inform and educate rice value chain stakeholders about the SARD-SC
project
• AfricaRice Science Week video including SARD-SC available and
viewed through TV5MONDE AFRIQUE, TV5MONDE EUROPE,
TV5MONDE CANADA
M&E and Learning

34. IFPRI assignment: Contractual arrangement and farmer organizations in rice value
chain
• Review and assess the relative performances of the different formal and informal
contractual arrangements for rice commercialization
• Identify a select number of promising formal contractual arrangements
– Secondary data generally too old
– LSMS (Living Standard Measurement Study) was not design to represent rice
situation in Nigeria. So the results from the LSMS will not be representative of each
state
• Ogun producing rice from 2000 to 2009 and Osun producing rice in 2008 and
2009. Surprising to report these two states are not producing rice in 2011
Recommendation:
• Economists and M&E specialists of the 3 Centers (IITA, ICARDA, AfricaRice) should
meet to deepen discussion on the IFPRI study and propose the way forward
• Information and data generated through the use of secondary data should be
validated with the active participation/representation of rice value chain stakeholders
• Continuing with such activity through IFPRI should be advised by the Economists
and M&E of the Centers
IFPRI study

35. • Increase follow-up country visits to review NARI financial justification of project
funds (SOEs & receipts) and improve project disbursement rate
• Coaching and mentoring of Innovation Platform (IP) facilitators and
practitioners to improve competencies and skills of the IP actors on starting and
facilitating functional IPs in rice value chain
• M & E and learning to assess and document the quality of interaction of the IP
actors, system performance, and transformational change brought by the IPs
• Systematic consultation, information sharing, and consensus building among
project implementing partners to improve teamwork and collective action
• AfDB mainstream project start-up phase of at least six months in project design
to enable learning-by-doing on best institutional practice by similar but
different organizations and partners in adapting to new rules, procedures, and
processes
• The duration of the current project evaluation process did not provide sufficient time
for interaction and learning among project stakeholders. In future, invest pragmatic
timelines in carrying out project evaluation in line with the widely known AfDB
practice.
Key Lessons Learnt

36. • Procurement methods in the PAR not consistently responsive to the needs
of suppliers / clients and thus the need to keep a heads-up and agree with
the bank on acceptable alternative procedures such a direct negotiations
and ‘Forced Accounts’
• Some degree of reluctance on the part of some suppliers and others service
providers to Bank’s terms of payments
• Bidding document administratively too heavy / demanding for suppliers to
comply and respond on a timely manner
Key Lessons Learnt

37. Thank you
Merci