Background
JIRCAS is implementing the activity “Low-cost technologies for paddy infrastructure development” as
one of three sub-projects under “Development of rice production technologies in Africa (DeriptA)” which is
the flagship project of the JIRCAS program “Stable Food Production”. DeriptA aims to contribute to the
reduction in current food shortages and poverty in African countries, corresponding to the goal of the
Coalition for African Rice Development (CARD), which was established to realize the Yokohama Statement,
in 2008 at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development IV (TICAD IV), saying “African rice
production will need to be doubled in the next decade”.
The sub-project “Low-cost technologies for paddy infrastructure development” aims to develop a low
life-cycle cost of paddy-infrastructure technology, an Asian-type rice cultivation system and a paddy field
model suitable to African conditions. The sub-project is expected to enables African local farmers to easily
recreate irrigated paddy fields of Asian-type that are bunded, levelled and puddled; and to carry out paddy rice
cultivation with farmers-affordable local materials.
Components of the sub-project
The sub-project is composed of three components and the each component has three or four
sub-components; the content of each sub-component is as follows:
1. Component 1 (Development of low-cost irrigation infrastructure)
Sub-component 1-a : Evaluation of existing irrigation technologies
Sub-component 1-b : Development and selection of low cost irrigation facilities
Sub-component 1-c : Evaluation of farming improvement and selection of optimum structures
2. Component 2 (Development of paddy infrastructure model for intensively farming in precedent paddy
farming areas)
Sub-component 2-a : Development of Improved Infrastructure and Technology for Rice
Production in Africa (DIITRPA) (in Ghana)
Sub-component 2-b : Improvement of soil fertility with use of indigenous resources in
rice systems of Sub Sahara Africa (in Ghana)
Sub-component 2-c : Formulation of guideline for paddy infrastructure design criteria
Sub-component 2-d : Research for promotion conditions of farm mechanization 3. Component 3 (Development of dissemination method of paddy infrastructure technologies through
application of south-south cooperation)
Sub-component 3-a : DIITRPA (in Ethiopia)
Sub-component 3-b : Research of water resource management
Sub-component 3-c : Research of condition for formation of south-south cooperation
How does the sub-project achieve its aims?
Ten sub-components of the sub-project cover most of the major “hardware” elements of paddy
cultivation, i.e. irrigation, farm land, soil, water resouces and Farming Related to “Hardware” Improvement
(FRHI). For example, the research field of sub-component 1-a is irrigation infrastructure, the research fields of
sub-component 2-a and sub-component 3-a are irrigation, farm land and FRHI and the research field of
sub-component 2-d is FRHI (farm mechanization). Sub-components also produce manuals/giuidelines which
are related to the research field(s) of each sub-component. Thus, the sub-project, is expected to achieve its aim
“increase rice production in Africa” as output and to contribute to CARD, together with other research
activities related to paddy cultivation in Africa.
Current Situation of the progress of sub-components
Each sub-component has presently been at different reaserch stage.
For example, sub-component 2-a and sub-component 3-a are in the 4th year of 4-year implementation plan of
research in Ghana and Ethiopia. A technical manual for DIITRPA has been twice drafted after various on-farm
research activities, and it will be finalised within this Japanese fiscal year (FY).
Sub-component 2-b is now 3rd year of 5-year implementation plan of research in Ghana. Effective
applications of various local organic matters and phosphate rock has been investigated (with different scales of
experiments in laboratory, glasshouse, on-station and on-farm). Farmers’ affordability to these "low-cost"
technologies has been socioeconomically surveyed and analyzed.
Other sub-components, except sub-component 2-c, were commenced in this FY and sub-component 2-c would
be commenced in FY 2012.