Rice to the Top
Rice To The Top:
Promoting rice growing excellence in South West Kenya
The project consists of six main components:
Irrigation
Refurbishment and maintenance of the weir at the Nyando river to ensure reliable water supply for the local rice schemes. This will ensure reliable and timely supply of water and enable farmers to grow two rice crops per year, dramatically increasing income from rice growing.
Farming inputs
Farmers received carefully selected rice seed varieties, fertilizers, and pesticides to achieve the maximum potential. Farmers will be supplied with planting fertilizer, top dressing fertilizer, fungicides, foliar feed and insecticides—to ensure a high yield. We expect that farmers will produce 30 kilos or more per acre—an
increase of around 50%.
Finance
Purchasing good quality seeds and agri chemicals is expensive, so we have laid out for those inputs. We likewise have provided financial assistance for several other things, including hiring tractors for land preparation, milling and design and printing of bags. These costs will be recovered from the sale of the crops.
Information & Training
Farmers receive training and support throughout the process in best planting techniques as well as the correct use of the fertilizers and pesticides to ensure high results are achieved.
Milling & storage
We are arranging the processing of the rice to increase its value and attract higher prices. We have therefore arranged for the rice to be milled by the National Irrigation Board (NIB) where it will be kept in storage so that it can be sold at a better price.
Marketing
We are supporting the farmers in all aspects of marketing, from securing accreditation for the rice to designing attractive packaging to finding buyers.
Project Background
Rice growing in the area has not utilized its full potential due to:
Inadequate supply of water for irrigation due to poor infrastructure and maintenance of the water systems right from the intake point. This has resulted in some schemes receiving water while others must wait for about four to six months before they can engage in rice farming. The intention of this project has been to fix the water points thereby ensuring that participating farmers receive water throughout the year to enable two rice seasons.
Farmers in the area lack suitable farm inputs and have had limited training in best planting techniques and the application of fertilizers and pesticides, resulting in poor yields. We ensure that the farmers are supported to access all the necessary farm inputs to allow for maximum yields. We choose the best seeds for growing in the area and provide them to the farmers free of charge.
Suboptimal agronomic practices are common, as the farmers lack relevant skills and knowledge in rice farming. The majority are still using ancient methods in land preparation, water use, planting methods and fertilizer application techniques. We provide relevant training, grouping farmers together under lead farmers who support their group of farmers, equipping them with appropriate skills and techniques necessary to improve rice output per acre.
The cost of milling means that the rice is typically sold together with its husks, lowering the price the farmers can attract for their rice. We are providing a milling capability that will process the rice at a low cost, ensuring the income will increase substantially while the additional costs will be modest.
The farmers lack capacity to acquire large and well aerated stores for their rice once harvested. This forces them to sell their produce to the middlemen at the farm gate at very low prices. We are providing central storage facilities from where the rice can be sold at superior prices.
When it comes to marketing the rice, farmers lack the ability to engage in effective marketing. They are unable to promote their product to retailers, and therefore - even if they could process the rice - would be unable to attract the best prices.
Rice To The Top has been established to address these problems and give farmers in South West Kenya the opportunity to achieve sustainable prosperity through growing rice.
