Smart Farming: can Africa’s rice production catch up with demand?

In Ivory Coast, Salmata Ouattara looks back at 2023 as the year everything changed for her rice farm.

Like many others in M’Be, near the city of Bouaké, she had struggled for years with unpredictable rainfall and sudden flooding that ruined her crops. While some farmers gave up, she kept going, supporting three children and other relatives from her farm’s earnings.

Then, a fellow farmer introduced her to Smart Valleys—a low-cost initiative by the non-profit Africa Rice. The concept helps farmers manage water more effectively through simple infrastructure like channels, reducing the risk of flooding and increasing productivity. It also supports crop diversification.

“Before, I made 2 tonnes a year [and] earned at least 400,000CFA [£528.60],” said Ouattara. “But as soon as we put Smart Valleys into practice, I made 4.5 tonnes, which makes me 900,000CFA (£1,189.34).”

The Smart Valleys project is largely supported by Japan’s agriculture ministry and focuses on cultivating inland valleys—low-lying fertile land between hills, mostly underused due to water control challenges. These valleys span 190 million hectares across sub-Saharan Africa, but only 10% are currently farmed.

“In the past, farmers were trying to produce rice only once a year and failing,” said Elliott Dossou-Yovo, who heads the project. Now, those same lands support alternative crops during the dry season, helping to improve income and food diversity.

Africa Rice, originally established in 1971, changed its name from the West Africa Rice Development Association in 2009, setting a goal to double rice production within a decade. Having achieved that, the focus is now on achieving rice self-sufficiency for member countries by 2030.

Just outside Ouattara’s farm, Africa Rice operates an 800-hectare research campus. It houses seed science labs, testing facilities, and a gene bank with over 22,000 rice varieties. Funded by organisations like the World Bank, the Gates Foundation, and various development banks, it works closely with scientists across the continent.

“Rice is very popular because it is easy to cook,” said Baboucarr Manneh, Africa Rice’s director general. “It used to seem like a luxury food to many consumers, compared with maize and millet.”

Cameroonian scientist Sali Atanja Ndindeng leads efforts to develop healthier rice types and promote nutrient-rich products like parboiled rice, rice crackers with local ingredients, and instant rice flour for children.

Despite progress, challenges remain. Only 20% of Africa’s rice fields are irrigated, with most dependent on inconsistent rainfall. Africa still imports about 40% of the rice it consumes—over half from India. In 2023, India’s export ban caused alarm across the continent.

Still, success stories like Ouattara’s show what science and innovation can achieve. “They welcomed me … They guided me and I thank them,” she said.