Management of rice production systems to increase productivity

Nigeria is West Africa’s largest producer of rice, producing an average of 3
million tons of rice per annum. Government policies contributed to the
expansion in rice production by putting a ban on rice imports in 1986. The
ban appears to have effectively stalled the further growth of rice imports,
though, and has ensured high domestic prices for rice relative to other food
crops. Although the ban was officially lifted in early 1995, imports have not
overtaken domestic production. In January 2001, the Nigerian government
raised the rice import duty from 50 percent to 75 percent in order to protect
domestic production. Currently rice imports account for approximately one‐
third of Nigeria’s rice supplies.
3,500,000
3,000,000
2,500,000
2,000,000
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
Benin Burkina Faso Côte d'Ivoire Ghana
Guinea Guinea-Bissau Liberia Mali
Mauritania Niger Nigeria Senegal
Sierra Leone Togo
0
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
Figure 3. Rice Cultivation Trend in West Africa shown in
Cultivated Hectares under Cultivation
11