Maclean et al. - 2002 - Rice almanac source book for the most important e
Maclean et al. - 2002 - Rice almanac source book for the most important e
Maclean et al. - 2002 - Rice almanac source book for the most important e
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GUINEA BISSAU is a tiny (36,000 km 2 ) tropic<strong>al</strong> West African nation facing <strong>the</strong> Atlantic<br />
Ocean b<strong>et</strong>ween Seneg<strong>al</strong> and Guinea. The land is mainly flat, rising to savanna in <strong>the</strong> east. The<br />
population in 1999 was 1.2 million. <strong>Rice</strong> is grown in both swampy coast<strong>al</strong> areas and <strong>the</strong> drier<br />
savanna region. Eleven percent of <strong>the</strong> land is arable and agriculture, which occupies 85% of<br />
<strong>the</strong> work<strong>for</strong>ce, constitutes 54% of <strong>the</strong> GDP.<br />
Gener<strong>al</strong> in<strong>for</strong>mation<br />
• GNI per capita PPP$, 2000: 710<br />
• Intern<strong>al</strong> renewable water re<strong>source</strong>s: 16 km 3<br />
• Incoming water flow: 9 km 3<br />
• Main food consumed: rice, oil and fat, nuts,<br />
mill<strong>et</strong> and sorghum, roots and tubers<br />
• <strong>Rice</strong> consumption, 1999: 87.3 kg milled rice<br />
per person per year<br />
Production constraints<br />
The major constraints to sustainable rice<br />
production in Guinea Bissau are as follows:<br />
• Drought in upland areas and drought and<br />
flash flood in rainfed lowland (or inland<br />
swamp) and tid<strong>al</strong> w<strong>et</strong>land (or mangrove)<br />
areas because of irregular wea<strong>the</strong>r<br />
• Acidity and s<strong>al</strong>inity in tid<strong>al</strong> w<strong>et</strong>land (or<br />
mangrove) areas<br />
• Inadequate and irregular input supplies:<br />
seeds, fertilizer, and credit<br />
• Lack of sm<strong>al</strong>l farm equipment, especi<strong>al</strong>ly<br />
<strong>for</strong> postharvest operations<br />
• Poor maintenance of developed swamps<br />
• Poor drainage, iron toxicity in undeveloped<br />
swamps<br />
• Poor maintenance of dikes, s<strong>al</strong>twater<br />
intrusion<br />
• Lack of effective farmers’ organizations and<br />
cooperatives<br />
• Lack of a well-defined rice policy<br />
• Poor road n<strong>et</strong>works and mark<strong>et</strong>ing systems<br />
• Weak research and extension support<br />
Production season<br />
Planting Harvesting<br />
Main season May-Aug Oct-Jan<br />
170 <strong>Rice</strong> <strong>al</strong>manac