New rainfed rice could unlock thousands of acres, save Kenya billions in imports

The introduction of new hybrid rice varieties that can be grown without flooding has made rice farming viable in over one million hectares of land, providing an answer to Kenya’s expensive rice production deficit.

Rainfed rice or aerobic rice relies on rainfall for establishment and growth. It is cultivated in ‘non-rice growing regions’ of the country, is cheaper to grow, drought tolerant, and perfectly suited for small-scale rice farming.

Also referred to as aerobic rice production, this system grows rice in well-drained, non-puddled soils. This saves on water, land preparation, transplanting, and mechanisation costs.

It also has the potential to be cultivated on 1Mha, while irrigated rice is limited to 540,000 ha. Currently, only 20 per cent (30,000 ha) of the country’s rice is produced under rain-fed conditions. 

Growing rice demand, hefty import bill

In 2022, Kenya imported 664,200Mt of rice worth Sh42.5 billion making it the 30th largest importer of the grain worldwide. 

Since 2008, rice consumption in Kenya has increased at an average rate of 12.7 per cent annually. In comparison, those of wheat and maize have increased by four and one per cent each.

This is a result of growing rice demand in ASAL regions, a rising population, and changing eating habits.

To reduce this ballooning import bill, the National Rice Development Strategy plans to increase the area under rain-fed rice from 10,631Ha to 42,000 and production from 1.7t/Ha to 3t/Ha.

Rainfed rice varieties 

This is only achievable through the adoption of high-yielding hybrid rice varieties that can be cultivated with minimal input.

Rainfed rice varieties are divided into Upland rice, “these are rice varieties grown in valley bottoms to hilly mountainous lands with slopes. Rice cultivation is done by preparing fields that are seeded when dry.” (Integrative Advances in Rice Research).

These areas include parts of Busia, and Kisumu in western Kenya, and Kwale, Kilifi, and Tana River in the Coast.

The other categorisation, lowland rice, “involves cultivation on leveled fields where water supply is mainly by rainfall and the water depth and the duration depends on the rain season. The water level cannot be controlled and rice plants are exposed to drought, deep floods, and alterations between water availability and unavailability”.(Integrative Advances in Rice Research).

Regions suited to lowland rice production include parts of Bungoma, Busia, Siaya, Kisumu, Kakamega, Kilifi, Kwale, Tana RiverMeru, Isiolo, Migori, Homa Bay, Embu, ElgeyoMarakwet and Lamu.

The best-performing rainfed rice variety is NERICA. 

It is high-yielding, requires minimal fertiliser, and matures faster shortening the growth cycle by 30–35 days. It also enables farmers to plant several crops in the same area and is drought-resistant.

According to Kalro’s knowledge bank, the following are rainfed rice varieties suitable for upland and lowland rice farming:

RAINFED UPLAND RICE VARIETIES

Variety	Yield potential	Description
NERICA 1	2.5-5 ton ha-1/ 1-2 ton/acre 12.5-25 bags/acre	Aromatic Short awn purple pigmentation on stem and grain,  High protein content (25%), Early maturing, Good cooking quality  Weed smothering ability Tolerant to: Blast  Rice yellow mottle virus, Bacterial leaf blight  Can be grown in Upland ecologies in: Western, Nyanza,  Rift Valley, Central,  Eastern,  N. Eastern, and Coast.
NERICA 4	3.2-6 ton ha-1/ 1.2-2.4 ton/acre 15-30 bags/acre	Long grain,  High protein content,  Weed smothering,  High tillering,  Medium threshability, Medium maturing Good cooking quality.  Tolerant to: Blast, Rice yellow mottle virus, Bacterial leaf blight Can be grown in Upland ecologies in:  Western,  Nyanza,  Rift Valley, Central,  Eastern,  N. Eastern,  Coast
NERICA 10	3.5-6 ton ha-1/ 1.4- 2.4 ton/acre 18-30 bags/acre	Long grains, Awned,  Purple pigmented grains,  High protein content Early maturing Good cooking quality Tolerant to: Blast, Rice yellow mottle virus,  Bacterial leaf blight Can be grown in Upland ecologies in:  Western Nyanza Rift Valley Central Eastern, N. Eastern, Coast
NERICA 11	3-5 ton/ha/ 1.2-2  ton/acre 15-25 bags/acre	Drought tolerant High ratoonability Poor exertion Medium maturing Good cooking quality High protein content Tolerant to pests & diseases Tolerant to: Blast, Rice yellow mottle virus, Bacterial leaf blight,  Can be grown in Upland ecologies in:  Western,  Nyanza,  Rift Valley,  Central, Eastern,  N. Eastern,  Coast
Dourado Precoce	2.3-5.5 ton ha-1/ 0.9-2.2  ton/acre 12-28 bags/acre	Awnless, Late maturing, Good cooking quality, Tolerant to:  Blast,  Rice yellow mottle virus, Bacterial leaf blight Can be grown in Upland ecologies in:  Western, Nyanza,  Central
Nam Roo	5-7 ton ha-1/ 2-2.8 ton/acre 25-35 bags/acre	Red stem Tall hence lodging resistant Late maturing  Tolerant to: Rice yellow mottle virus  Can be grown in Upland ecologies in:  Coast. Nyanza, Central, Western
WAB 181-18	2.5-4 ton ha-1 1-1.6 ton/acre 13-20 bags/acre	Early maturing and Good cooking quality Tolerant to blast  Can be grown in Upland ecologies in: Nyanza and Western.
TGR -94	3-4 ton ha-1/ 1.2-1.6 ton/acre 15-20 bags/acre	Medium maturing Long grains Tolerant to blast  Can be grown in Upland ecologies in:  Coast, Nyanza, Central, Western

RAINFED LOWLAND VARIETIES

WABIS- 675	3-4 ton ha-1/ 1.2-1.6 ton/acre 15-20 bags/acre	Medium maturing Tolerant to blast  Can be grown in lowland rainfed ecologies in:  Coast, Nyanza, Central, Western
Jasmine-85	7-8 ton ha/ 2.8-3.2 ton/acre 35-40 bags/acre	Medium maturing good cooking quality.  Moderately susceptible to blast Can be grown in  lowland rainfed ecologies in:  Coast, Nyanza, Central, Western
TGR -78	4-5 ton ha/ 1.6-2 ton/acre 20-25 bags/acre	Long grains  Medium maturing Good cooking quality Tolerant to blast  Can be grown in lowland rainfed ecologies in: Coast, Nyanza, Central, Western.
Ci Cong Ai	9-11 ton ha/ 3.6 – 4.4 ton/acre 45 – 55 bags/ acre	High tillering Medium maturing  Can be grown in lowland rainfed ecologies in:  Nyanza, Western

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