Understanding the rice value chain in Uganda – opportunities and challenges to increased production

Government of Uganda considers rice as one of the strategic agricultural enterprises with the potential to remarkably contribute to increasing rural incomes and livelihoods, and improving food and nutrition security. However, current rice yields are remarkably low, a situation partly attributed to the fact that farmers hardly use agro-inputs such as improved seed, fertilisers and herbicides, which would otherwise boost yields. Low rice yields lower farm incomes from rice production, which partly contribute to the poor and declining performance of the agriculture sector. It is reported in the 2010/11- 2014/15 National Development Plan that one of the major constraints to the performance of the agriculture sector is weak value chain linkages from production, processing and marketing; and limited extension support. The current study focuses on rice and assesses the constraints and opportunities for intensification along the value chain, as one of the strategies to accelerate growth of the agriculture sector.

Objectives of the study

The need to intensify rice production and strengthen the rice value chain is the motivation behind this study, with the following specific objectives:

1) To characterise key actors in the rice value chain;

2) To assess farmers’ access to and use of rice yield-augmenting inputs; and

3) To identify core constraints and opportunities for improving efficiency in the rice value chain.