demand for rice and desire for import substitution has been
a stimulus for the development of more effective rice cultivation.
The last 10 years have seen considerable commercial
development of rice, especially of outgrower schemes supported
by rice millers (e.g., Tilda in Eastern Uganda). A further
important development has been the creation of the New
Rice for Africa (NERICA), a cross between African and Asian
long-grain rice, which has the lower water requirements of
upland rice and has therefore brought higher yields to many
parts where irrigation is not feasible. However, it is also beginning
to spread widely to the irrigated areas (Figure 2.2).
An important characteristic of the rice subsector in SSA is
the large quantity of imports. FAO statistics1 show that SSA,
while producing only 1 percent of global rice, accounted in
2009 for an estimated 33 percent of global imports of rice
with nearly two-thirds bound for West African markets. In
comparison to locally produced rice, imported rice is of a
better consistency in terms of size, variety, color, and cleanliness.
It is also easier to prepare—a characteristic which is
particularly important in the urban areas, where consumers
value convenience due to busy work schedules. Domestic
rice, by contrast, tends to be characterized by high levels of
foreign matter such as stones, broken kernels, mixed varieties,
and an unattractive color (parboiled and unpolished).
Teff and fonio are small cereal crops. The production of teff
is confi ned to Ethiopia and Eritrea, and postharvest problems
are limited, as grains are too small for insects to attack. Teff
has potential for expansion and in recent years has become
an important export crop in Ethiopia, to the extent that the