The increased adoption of rice cultivation by Ugandan farmers has been described as big step towards boosting people's incomes, food security and as a source of jobs for hundreds and probably thousands along the value chain system.

Over the last couple of years, rice growing has expanded from eastern Uganda where it used to be grown almost exclusively in wetlands, to other parts of the country, thanks to the introduction of Upland rice varieties.

Uganda's total rice output has henceforth gone up from a few thousand tones to about 170,000 tones realised last year. This has not only provided farmers with vital income to improve their living conditions, it has also helped the country save crucial foreign exchange that was previously spent on imported rice.

However, there is growing consensus among experts in the industry that Uganda's average rice productivity of about 1.5 tones per hectare needs to be urgently improved to be able to match that of other countries in the region. This, experts argue, would greatly improve Uganda's competitiveness in rice trade at the regional as well as international markets.

According to Phillip Idro, Uganda's former Ambassador to China and a prominent rice investor currently owning a modern rice mill, one of the major causes of low productivity is the lack of knowledge about rice farming.

Idro argues that lack of knowledge has not only resulted into low output by farmers, it has been a major cause of poor quality rice produced.

Idro made the remarks during the launch of a DVD that explains the nitty-gritty of rice farming from seed and field preparation through planting to harvesting and post-harvest handling.

Produced by Countrywise Communications, the DVD will be multiplied by 20,000 copies which will be distributed to rice farmers across East Africa thanks to funding support from Kilimo Trust, an East African grant-giving organization whose main focus is developing the agricultural sector.

"A few years ago you could never get enough good quality rice in Uganda. The issue was there was a need to extend knowledge to farmers to improve quality and quantity," said Idro.

He added that Ugandan rice farmers need to be made aware of how they can get more output from their little pieces of land to be able to compete with their counterparts in other regions. He says that in countries like Egypt, farmers can get as much as 8 tones of rice from one hectare.

If each farmer could produce at least 5 tones per hectare, it would make rice farming and milling viable.
Speaking with a lot of passion, Idro argues that efforts to develop agriculture and alleviate poverty in Uganda have got to address efficiency of farmers.

It is estimated that some 400,000 farmers are involved in rice production throughout the country.

However, due to low productivity, which is also caused by the limited application of fertilizers and irrigation techniques, Uganda is unable to attain its full benefits that would accrue from exporting the crop, let alone satisfying local demand which is estimated at 220,000 tones every year.

Idro argues that Kenya alone spends US$ 1 million on rice imports daily, but Uganda is so far unable to take that advantage because of low productivity.

In fact, he adds, even the current good prices for rice farmers are a result of the 75% tax on imported rice, which if removed, would result into far lower prices that could discourage farmers and hurt industries.

Lack of storage hurts farmers

Idro argues further that the absence of storage facilities is a major problem facing rice and other cereals producers in the country. He says that because of poor storage, farmers are unable to delay supply which would result into better prices for their produce. He called upon stakeholders to help farmers establish storage facilities which would also help boost rice quality.

Michael Kairumba, Kilimo's Programme Manager for Private Sector engagement, argues that support to rice industry is a worthy effort because the crop is vital in the value chain system, providing incomes, jobs as well as raw materials for makers of other nutritional products.