AfricaRice Audio Podcasts

AfricaRice feature : Ghana celebrates first national rice festival

Reflecting the growing importance of the rice sector in Ghana, the First National Rice Festival was organized in Accra, 7-9 November 2012, by the Ghana Rice Inter-Professional Body (GRIB) under the theme “Growing a vibrant rice industry through public-private partnership for food security.” The aim of the Rice Festival was to bolster support for the local rice industry through public-private partnership and highlight the importance of the rice sector for increasing food security, reducing poverty and creating employment in the country. Underlining the efforts made by GRIB and its partners to increase rice production and quality, GRIB President Mr Imoro Amoro said, “The quality of local rice is as good as imported rice – in fact even better, as the local rice is fresh and without pesticides.” GRIB is stepping up efforts to institute quality-control mechanisms for local rice in order to meet international standards. The Rice Festival brought together representatives of rice stakeholders, including farmers, millers, processors, and traders as well as development agencies, national and international research organizations and donors. It was inaugurated by the 2012 National Best Farmer Mr Lemuel Kwashie Martey of Mannah Farms Limited. Speakers in the podcast (in order of appearance) : Alexander Darku, Chairman, Greater Accra Chefs Association, Ghana Imoro Amoro, President, GRIB, Ghana Theodora Catha Edu, Navrongo Rice Processor, Ghana Seidu Ali Sampare, Chief Technical Officer–Engineering, CSIR-FRI, Ghana Lemuel Kwashie Martey, Mannah Farms Limited, Ghana John Manful, Grain Quality Scientist, AfricaRice, Benin Podcast credit : Savitri Mohapatra, R.Raman, AfricaRice

Africa Rice Recipes – WAAKYE - a popular dish from Ghana made with rice and beans

Waakye (pronounced waa-chay) is a popular dish from Ghana made with rice and beans. The dish requires about 15 minutes of preparation and an hour and half of cooking time. Ingredients 2 cups of rice 1 cup of red beans or black-eyed peas or any kind of beans or peas 4 dry sorghum leaves (if you do not have sorghum leaves, you can use 1 teaspoon of baking soda instead.) Salt to taste 10 cups of water Preparation Wash and soak the beans in water for 3-4 hours. Drain the beans and place them in a large pot with water. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it cook for about 45 minutes Wash the sorghum leaves. Cut the leaves into lengths of 3 to 4 inches, toss them in with the boiling beans and allow them to cook together. If sorghum leaves are not available, add a teaspoon of baking soda to give the Waakye its characteristic color. Remove the sorghum leaves from the beans after 5 minutes Wash the rice and add to the beans in the pot, along with more water. Allow the mixture to cook for about 15-20 minutes (or until the beans are tender and rice is cooked and all liquid has been totally absorbed.) Watch out that the mixture does not burn and keep stirring while it cooks Season with salt Serve the dish with pepper sauce, boiled eggs and/or a stew of, fish, chicken, beef or vegetables. Bon appétit! Recipe author : Eugenia Manful,  Ghana Revenue Authority, Accra, Ghana Guests : John Manful, AfricaRice, Benin Jemima, CSIR-Food Research Institute, Accra, Ghana Abimbola Olukemi Sanni, AfricaRice, Benin Seth Graham Acquaah, AfricaRice, Benin Yvette Singbo Dossa, AfricaRice, Benin Podcast credit : Savitri Mohapatra, R.Raman, AfricaRice

Building an ICT-based science and technology network on managing African weeds of rice

A workshop to mark the end of a 3-year project on African Weeds of Rice, called AFROweeds, was held from 24 to 26 September 2012 at AfricaRice, Benin. The project was funded by the European Union ACP Science, and Technology Program, and led by Seeraad and AfricaRice. It was carried out in close association with national partners. The main objective of the AFROweeds project was to improve the management of weeds, in West and East African lowland rice cropping systems, through the sharing of information, particularly relating to weed management practices, and the development of, weed identification tools. For more information, visit www.afroweeds.org. Speakers in the video : Jonne Rodenburg, AfricaRice, Tanzania Ruth Kabanyoro, National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), Uganda Thomas Le Bourgeois, CIRAD, France Salif Diack, SAED, Senegal Podcast credit : R.Raman, Savitri Mohapatra, AfricaRice

Regional Rice Sector Development Workshop

A workshop on the "Regional Rice Sector Development" was held from 24 to 25 September 2012 at AfricaRice, Cotonou, Benin. The main objective of the workshop was to discuss and build a strategic partnership for effective collaboration for regional rice sector development in Africa. During the workshop, AfricaRice's Research for Development Strategy 2011--2020 was presented, highlighting the mechanisms for out-scaling rice sector development in Africa. Participating institutions and strategic partners were also invited to present their approach and current initiatives related to rice sector development. Discussion covered issues on partner collaboration and support for regional rice sector development efforts in Africa. Speakers in the video : Aliou Diagne, AfricaRice, Benin Farily Boly, ROPPA, Mali Rose Njeru, Africa Harvest, Kenya Abou Berthe, SG2000, Mali Mireille Barbier, Catholic Relief Services, Burkina Faso Anthony Muoneke, Songhai, Benin Podcast credit : R.Raman, Savitri Mohapatra, AfricaRice

Realizing the agricultural potential of inland valleys in sub-Saharan Africa : Phase 2 launched

The second phase of the EU-funded project called “Realizing the agricultural potential of inland valley lowlands in sub-Saharan Africa, while maintaining their environmental services”, or RAP in short, was launched at AfricaRice, Cotonou, Benin, 19 to 21 September 2012. The second phase seeks to enhance the productivity and competitiveness of inland-valley lowlands through sustainable intensification and diversification of agricultural productivity and product value chain development, while conserving land and water resources. It will focus on the following four objectives: (1) participatory development of competitive, gender-sensitive and socially-acceptable rice-based value chains through multi-stakeholder platforms; (2) Analysis of opportunities and risks related to agricultural production and environmental goods and services; (3) Development of innovative technologies that allow for sustainable intensification and diversification of productive resources linked to farm diversity; (4) Support to development projects promoting sustainable development of inland valley systems in Africa. Speakers in the podcast : Cara Raboanarielina, AfricaRice Social Scientist and RAP Project Coordinator - Phase II Abdoulaye Hamadoun, IER Scientist and RAP National Coordinator, Mali Sizi Subah, Deputy Minister Technical Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Liberia Joël Huat, CIRAD Vegetable Agronomist and  RAP Project Coordinator - Phase I Matthew Gboku, SLARI Deputy Director General and RAP National Coordinator, Sierra Leone Patrice Adégbola, INRAB Scientist and RAP National Coordinator, Benin Podcast credit : R.Raman, Savitri Mohapatra, AfricaRice

Trouble from the sky

Birds are a delight to watch and to listen to. But sometimes they can also be harmful if not controlled. Birds feeding on ripening grain, such as the red-billed quelea, are known to be very damaging to rice and in Africa small farmers have few options to manage them.

Traditionally, women, along with their children, run up and down in the field, shouting, waving, clapping hands, throwing stones, and sometimes trying to scare the birds off with rattles and drums. Children often miss school as they are busy chasing birds off their parents’ rice farms

Farmers in Senegal and Mali attribute 10–15% crop loss to birds. Annual surveys over several years in the Senegal River Valley, a key rice belt in West Africa, show that farmers consider weeds and birds as the two most important pests in irrigated rice production.

The CGIAR research program on rice called GRiSP identifies birds as the second most important biotic constraint in African rice production after weeds, based on farmer surveys in 20 African countries.

However, there are limited recent and accurate estimates of the rice crop losses inflicted by birds, according to Dr Matty Demont, AfricaRice economist.

Since bird inflicted losses are a major obstacle to the development of intensive rice production in the Senegal River Valley, Dr. Demont tried to estimate the losses.

His study indicated that birds cause more than US$9 million in losses in the Senegal River Valley per year, with an annual bird damage of 13.2% of potential rice yield during the wet seasons from 2003 to 2007. The study also indicated that losses reach $18.6 million when pressure from birds is highest.

Moreover, farmers indicated that, at high bird pressure, traditional birdscaring methods are not effective. His study suggests that monitoring, controlling bird populations by applying avicides on a large scale, and insurance measures against massive invasions are urgent.

In an AfricaRice survey near Saint Louis, Senegal, farmers said that, if they managed their weeds in their rice fields, they would have fewer bird attacks. AfricaRice weed scientist Dr. Jonne Rodenburg found out that the farmers were right.

His experiments showed that weed free fields discouraged birds. Weedy fields attracted birds because they fed on weed seeds, found shelter in the weeds, and perched on the weeds to eat the rice.

In general, birds can be kept away from rice fields by following good agricultural practices. In addition to keeping fields weed-free, planting early maturing rice varieties, experimenting with different planting dates, and avoiding open water in the middle of rice fields are recommended to farmers.

Also, the removal of nesting, perching, and roosting sites around the field can reduce the number of birds. Reflective ribbons or used video/cassette tapes and nets have been found to be effective, too. In some places, farmers use large nets to catch birds or sound cannons and scarecrows.

However, birds quickly get used to such methods. Therefore, farmers are advised to combine the techniques. Sometimes broad spectrum poisons are used to kill destructive birds. However, aside from damaging the environment and human health, these also kill birds that do not eat grain.

Alternatives to these harmful pesticides, such as bio repellents for birds, are now increasingly being promoted across many countries in Africa. In addition, scientists are continuously working with farmers to help develop earth-friendly tools to protect rice crops from birds.

However, Dr. Demont points out that, if one farmer scares birds from his field, these birds only move to adjacent fields. His study recommends that policymakers treat regional bird control as a public good towards increasing domestic rice production as well as ensuring that children go to school instead of chasing birds.

For more information, visit www.AfricaRice.org

Podcast credit : Savitri Mohapatra, R.Raman, AfricaRice

Grain quality evaluation: supporting rice technology development in Africa

Rice is unique because unlike other cereals, the harvested product cannot be eaten directly as food and the quality of the milled grain is determined more by the starch properties than by the protein amount and quality. “Milling” in rice refers to the removal of the husk and polishing of the bran layers while in other cereals, “milling” is simply “grinding” or “size reduction”. Rice grain quality has two main dimensions – the physical quality and cooking properties. At AfricaRice, these aspects are determined in its Grain Quality Lab and the information is passed on to the plant breeders to help them develop rice varieties that are higher yielding, stress tolerant as well as endowed with acceptable grain qualities. The Grain Quality Lab at AfricaRice carries out research and provides technical support to AfricaRice researchers in developing the ARICA rice varieties that are in the pipeline for release. Podcast credit: R.Raman, Savitri Mohapatra, AfricaRice

Comment rendre les chaînes de valeurs du riz plus orientées vers le consommateur

Le riz touche des milliers pour ne pas dire des millions d’individus en plus des riziculteurs. En amont des sites de production, on compte les producteurs et fabricants d’intrants (semences, engrais, pesticides), d’équipements et les négociants qui les commercialisent. En aval de la production, se trouvent les transformateurs, commerçants, grossistes, détaillants et consommateurs. Matty Demont est agro-économiste à la station du Sahel d’AfricaRice. « Les Sénégalais consomment principalement du riz importé et pourquoi ? » se demande-t-il. « La réponse doit être liée aux chaînes de valeurs au Sénégal et cela nous donnera des indications sur l’orientation à donner à la stratégie rizicole destinée aux bénéficiaires finaux – en rendant les chaînes plus orientées vers le consommateur ». La grande majorité des Sénégalais consomment du riz importé. Cette préférence est influencée en grande partie par le fait que le riz produit localement – notamment dans la vallée du fleuve Sénégal (VFS) au Nord – a été traditionnellement de qualité médiocre comprenant des mélanges de variétés, une qualité de grain hétérogène avec un niveau d’impuretés inacceptable. Que se passerait-il si ce riz était adapté aux préférences du marché en termes de qualité et de présentation, les populations l’achèteraient-ils ? Par un système de ventes aux enchères expérimentales et du riz local étiqueté (Rival – une marque déposée de riz produit localement et commercialisée par la Plateforme d’appui aux initiatives du nord, PINORD), Demont et son équipe ont trouvé que les consommatrices étaient prêtes à payer un supplément pour Rival équivalent de près du double de ce qu’elles paieraient pour le riz importé (38 % cf. 16 %). En somme, près de 20 % des participants ont préféré le riz conventionnel VFS. « L’implication politique est la suivante ; nous ne devons pas imposer que tout le riz de la VFS fasse l’objet de la démarche qualité », a déclaré Demont. « Il existe un segment du marché qui n’est pas prêt à payer pour la qualité. Le développement de la chaîne de valeur devra s’assurer que le riz VFS conventionnel reste disponible pour ces consommateurs si l’amélioration de sa qualité implique des prix plus élevés ». Les acquis principaux issus des travaux sur la chaîne de valeur menés dans la station du Sahel sont les suivants : la disponibilité du riz local de qualité (VFS) doit être promue au sein de la population, la production de riz de qualité demande des investissements, et les politiques rizicoles doivent être séquencées – en commençant par augmenter la qualité du riz local pour atteindre le niveau de celui importé, ce qui valorise le produit, produire du riz à grande échelle, et mettre en place des programmes promotionnels en vue de commercialiser l’excédent pour le substituer au riz importé sur les marchés urbains. Un article“Policy Sequencing and the Development of Rice Value Chains in Senegal” par Dr Matty Demont et Amy C. Rizzotto, publié en juin 2012 dans “Development Policy Review” met l’accent sur cette question.

Pour plus d’informations, visiter www.Africaraïce.org.

Podcast credit : R.Raman, Savitri Mohapatra, AfricaRice

How to make rice value chains buyer-driven

Rice concerns thousands, if not millions, of people in addition to rice farmers. On the pre-production side there are the producers and manufacturers of inputs (seeds, fertilizers, pesticides) and machinery and the traders who sell them.

On the postproduction side, there are processors, traders, wholesalers, retailers and consumers.

Matty Demont is an agricultural economist based at the AfricaRice Sahel Station. “The Senegalese eat mostly imported rice instead of the locally produced rice — why?” he asks. “The answer must be related to rice value chains in Senegal, and it will give us clues how to orient rice strategy to the end-user — making the chains buyer-driven”.

The vast majority of Senegalese people in Senegal eat imported rice. This preference is influenced, at least in major part, by the fact that locally produced rice (especially in the Senegal River valley [SRV] in the north) has historically been of mediocre quality, comprising mixed varieties, heterogeneous grain quality and with unacceptably high levels of impurities.

But what if it was tailored to market preferences in terms of quality and presentation, would the people pay for it?

By using an experimental auction system, and locally produced branded rice (Rival — a trademarked brand of domestic rice, marketed by the NGO Plateforme d’appui aux initiatives du nord, PINORD), Demont and his team found that women consumers were willing to pay a premium for Rival more than double what they would and do pay for imported rice on the market (38% cf. 16%).

That said, some 20% of the participants preferred the conventional SRV rice. “The policy implication here is that we should never seek to push all SRV rice down the route of quality”, says Demont. “There is a market segment of consumers who are not willing to pay for quality. Value chain development should ensure that conventional SRV rice remains available for those consumers if improving its quality will result in significantly higher prices”.

The key lessons from the value-chain work conducted in Senegal are that the availability of quality local (SRV) rice needs to be promoted among the population, production of quality rice requires investment, and policy needs to be sequenced — starting with increasing the quality of locally produced rice to the level of imported rice, which adds value to the product; scaling up rice production; and running promotional programs to market the surplus and replace imported rice in urban end-markets.

An article “Policy Sequencing and the Development ofRice Value Chains in Senegal” by Matty Demont and Amy C. Rizzotto, published this month in “Development Policy Review,” focuses on this issue.

For more information on AfricaRice, visit www.AfricaRice.org

Podcast credit : Savitri Mohaptra, R.Raman, AfricaRice

Thiebou dieune : Senegal’s rice and fish dish

Africa Rice Recipes Thiebou dieune : Senegal’s rice and fish dish A number of rice dishes are prepared in Senegal, a country situated in West Africa. But the most popular rice dish is ‘Thiebou dieune ’, a richly flavored combination of fresh fish, rice and vegetables. The name of the dish is derived from ‘ Thieb ’, which in local Wolof language means rice and ‘ dieune ’, which means fish. Mrs Mariama Dieng, from Senegal, who works at the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), will show you how Thiebou dieune  is prepared. This dish requires about 30-40 minutes of preparation time and about 1 and 1/2 hours of cooking time. To prepare Thiebou dieune  for 4 persons, you will need the following ingredients: • 1 large (about 2-kg) fish (preferably a grouper or any other white fish), rinsed and cut into 4 large chunks • 250 grams of tomato concentrate • 1/2 liter of peanut or vegetable oil • 1 kg of rice (Senegalese prefer to use broken rice for this recipe, but you can use normal rice) • 100 grams of dried fish such as stockfish rinsed • 200 grams of carrots peeled • 200 grams of cassava peeled • 1 small cabbage chopped into large chunks • 4 okra (optional) • 4 sweet potatoes peeled • 2 eggplants with the stems removed and cut in two • 4 small turnips peeled • 1 onion • 1 clove garlic • 3 green chilli peppers • 1 bunch fresh parsley • 1 small green bell pepper • 1 Jumbo cube (if you are unable to find it, you could substitute a fish- or shrimp-flavored Maggi cube) • Salt to taste • 1 tablespoon black pepper Preparation 1. Deseed and cut in half the bell pepper. Slice the onion and chop finely the parsley. Peel the garlic clove and cut into 2 pieces. 2. Make a paste by grinding together the parsley, half of the bell pepper, half tablespoon of the black pepper, and half of the garlic clove with a mortar and pestle or in a grinder. Add a pinch of salt. 3. Using a knife, make a hole in each chunk of fish, but be careful not to make the cut all the way through. Stuff the holes with this paste. 4. Heat 2-3 inches of oil in a large pan and fry the fish pieces for about 3-4 minutes on both sides. Remove the fish and set aside. 5. In the same pan, fry half of the sliced onion, the remaining half of the bell pepper and one chilli pepper. Add the tomato concentrate (dilute with a little water), let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, pour 1 liter of water and add salt. Bring the mixture to a boil for 5 minutes. 6. Then add all the vegetables, the washed dried fish along with the remaining chilli peppers, cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. 7. Grind together the remaining black pepper, garlic, onion, bell pepper with the Jumbo cube. 8. Pour this paste into the pan and add the fried fish. Reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer another 15 minutes. 9. Remove the fish pieces and all the vegetables with a little sauce. Leave the rest of the sauce in the pan. 10. Wash the rice and half-cook it (preferably using a steamer). Remove the half-cooked rice from the steamer and stir it in the pan with the remaining sauce. Cook it for 15 minutes (watch and stir every 5 minutes). 11. Spoon the cooked rice in a large serving platter, arrange the fish and vegetables over the rice and garnish with lemon wedges. Bon appétit! According to Dr. Jean Moreira, a Senegalese national, this is how an authentic Thiebou dieune  is cooked. A wide variety of vegetables and fish can be used, making Thiebou dieune  a versatile and healthy dish. Disclosing the secret behind the Senegalese preference for broken rice in preparing Thiebou dieune , rather than long grain rice, he explains that the broken rice seems to better absorb the sauce and is more pleasing to the taste. Host : Mariama Dieng, Ibnou Dieng, AfricaRice, Benin Guest : Kyoko Saito, Kazuki Saito, AfricaRice, Benin Podcast credit : Savitri Mohapatra, R.Raman, AfricaRice, Benin