General Information
· Main climates: Tropical Steppe and Semiarid, Tropical Wet and Dry
· Total land area: 19 253 000 ha
· Internal renewable water resources: 26.2 km3
· Incoming water flow: 13 km3
· GNP per capita, 1998: PPP$ 1 297
· Main food consumed: Rice, Millet & sorghum, Oil & fat, Wheat, Sugar & honey
· Rice supply, 1999: 106.7 kg paddy/capita/year
Basic Statistics
|
1985 |
1990 |
1995 |
2000 |
RICE |
|
|
|
|
Harvested area (T ha) |
78.1 |
72.9 |
68.9 |
95.8 |
Yield (kg/ha) |
1881 |
2482 |
2249 |
2500 |
Production (T t) |
147.0 |
181.1 |
155.1 |
239.7 |
Imports (T t) |
342.3 |
391.5 |
441.2 |
NA |
Exports (t) |
0 |
1 |
1 |
NA |
OTHERS |
|
|
|
|
Population (T) |
6375 |
7327 |
8330 |
NA |
Agr population (T) |
5019 |
5621 |
6271 |
NA |
Irrigated agr area (T ha) |
90 |
94 |
71 |
NA |
Fertilizer cons (T t) |
20.5 |
12.0 |
16.2 |
NA |
Agr tractors in use (units) |
460 |
490 |
550 |
NA |
Producing Zones and Cropping Seasons
In the Valley of Senegal River in the north, rice is grown under irrigated conditions. In the south rice is grown under diverse ecologies. The following table shows the harvested areas from different producing zones.
Production zone |
Harvested area (% total harvested area) |
Casamance |
37.03 |
Kolda |
25.44 |
St. Louis |
20.77 |
Ziguichor |
12.17 |
Tamba |
3.61 |
Fatik |
0.49 |
Sine Sal |
0.49 |
The following table shows the rice cropping seasons.
Cropping season |
Planting |
Harvesting |
Main season |
6-7 |
10-12 |
Off season |
2-3 |
6-7 |
Production Practices
The following figure shows the harvested areas from different ecologies during the last five years. The tidal wetland (or mangrove) rice is dominant under the category of other ecologies.
Upland rice is grown as a mono-crop or as in a mixture with other food crops following the slash-and-burn shifting cultivation almost without any application of chemical fertilizer and other ago-chemical. The size of lowland rice farms per farmer is generally small (from few hundred to few thousand square meters). Women are dominant rainfed lowland farmers, while men are dominant irrigated rice farmers. In rainfed lowland areas rice-other food crops system is practised if water supply is assured, while in irrigated rice areas, double rice cropping is dominant.
Land preparation for rainfed lowland rice is done either manually or with animal traction, while in irrigated rice it is done either mechanically or with animal traction. Transplanting is the main method of crop establishment for rainfed lowland rice, while direct seeding is dominant in irrigated rice. Farmers generally apply little fertilizer to rainfed lowland rice, but moderate to high rates of inorganic fertilizers is usually applied to irrigated rice. Weed control is done by a combination of manual weeding and herbicides. Rainfed lowland rice farmers do not have adequate appropriate tools and equipment for harvesting and threshing of rice. In irrigated rice areas in the Valley of the Senegal River combined harvester is sometimes used.
A number of improved rice varieties have been released for cultivation.
Variety Name |
Released period |
Growth duration (days) |
BW 248-1 |
Irrigated |
NA |
BW 293-2 (SAHEL201) |
Irrigated |
120-125 |
DJ 346 D |
Irrigated |
115 |
I KONG PAO |
Irrigated |
115-120 |
IR 1529-680-3 |
Irrigated |
130-135 |
ITA 123 |
Irrigated |
125 |
JAYA |
Irrigated |
135-140 |
SAHEL 202 |
Irrigated |
115-120 |
SAHEL108 |
Irrigated |
105-110 |
BR 51-46-5 |
Irrigated |
120-130 |
ITA 123 |
Irrigated |
120-130 |
BG 90-2 |
Irrigated |
120-130 |
IR 442 2 58 |
Rainfed lowland |
135-140 |
BKN 6986 |
Rainfed lowland |
NA |
TOX 728-1 |
Rainfed lowland |
105 |
BW 248-1 |
Rainfed lowland |
125-130 |
TOS 103 |
Rainfed lowland |
|
ROK 5 |
Rainfed lowland |
140-145 |
WAR 1 |
Tidal wetland |
135 |
WAR 77-3-2-2 |
Tidal wetland |
140 |
WAR 81-2-1-3-2 |
Tidal wetland |
140 |
DJ 12 519 |
Upland |
NA |
IRAT 10 |
Upland |
110-115 |
IRAT 133 |
Upland |
115-125 |
IRAT 144 |
Upland |
110-120 |
SE 302 G |
Upland |
100-115 |
SE 319 G |
Upland |
95-100 |
DJ 8-341 |
Upland |
100 |
DJ 11-509 |
Upland |
100 |
63-83 |
Upland |
115-120 |
The following table shows rice responses to fertilizer application.
Other information |
Test range (kg/ha) |
Control rate (kg/ha) |
Control yield (t/ha) |
Rate at Maximum yield (kg/ha) |
Maximum yield (t/ha) |
Nitrogen (N) |
|||||
Reported in 63, Senegal river valley, Irrigated |
0-22.5 |
0 |
2.56 |
22.5 |
3.3 |
Reported in 79, Senegal river valley, with 60 P + 60 K kg/ha, Irrigated |
0-150 |
0 |
2.47 |
120 |
7.27 |
Reported in 79, Senegal river valley, with 60 P + 60 K kg/ha + compost 10tons/ha, Irrigated |
0-150 |
0 |
3.97 |
120 |
7.6 |
Reported in 63, Casamance, Rainfed lowland |
0-22.5 |
0 |
1.43 |
22.5 |
1.93 |
Reported in 63, Casamance with 22.5 P + 22.5 K kg/ha, Rainfed lowland |
0-22.5 |
0 |
1.9 |
22.5 |
2.16 |
Phosphorus (P2O5) |
|||||
Reported in 63, Senegal river valley, Irrigated |
0-22.5 |
0 |
2.56 |
22.5 |
2.98 |
Reported in 63, Senegal river valley, with 22.5 N + 22.5 K kg/ha, Irrigated |
0-22.5 |
0 |
2.75 |
0 |
2.75 |
Reported in 63, Casamance, Rainfed lowland |
0-22.5 |
0 |
1.43 |
22.5 |
1.81 |
Reported in 63, Casamance, with 22.5 N kg/ha, Rainfed lowland |
0-22.5 |
0 |
1.98 |
22.5 |
2.16 |
Constraints and Issues of Sustainable Production
There are several constraints to sustainable rice production in Senegal. Following are the majors:
Low temperature during off-season in irrigated areas
Shortage of water in the dry season
Poor maintenance of irrigation facilities
Poor drainage in irrigated schemes
High production costs
Inadequate and Irregular input supplies: seeds, fertilizer and credit
Lack of small farm equipment, especially for post harvest operations
Lack of effective farmer organization and co-operative
Competition of labour by other production activities
Lack of a well-defined rice policy
Poor road networks and marketing systems
Weak research and extension support
The following table show the rice production costs.
Other information |
Yield (t/ha) |
Cost ($/ha) |
Cost ($/t) |
1988, Upland, Moyenne Casamance |
1.5 |
252 |
168 |
1988, Irrigated, Delta |
4.5 |
613 |
136 |
1988, Irrigated, Moyenne Vallee |
4.75 |
748 |
157 |
1990, Rainfed lowland, Casamance, Intensification=High |
2 |
342 |
171 |
1990, Rainfed lowland, Casamance, Intensification=Low |
1 |
67.5 |
67.5 |
1990, Upland, Casamance, Intensification=High |
1.5 |
390 |
260 |
1990, Upland, Casamance, Intensification=Low |
0.6 |
81.5 |
136 |
Sen. River, Big Scheme |
5.01 |
962 |
192 |
Sen.River, Small Scheme |
5 |
1157 |
231 |
1994, Rainfed lowland, Casamance, Intensification=High |
2 |
262 |
132 |
1994, Rainfed lowland, Casamance, Intensification=Low |
1 |
47 |
47 |
1994, Upland, Casamance, Intensification=High |
1.5 |
312 |
208 |
1994, Upland, Casamance, Intensification=Low |
0.6 |
55 |
92 |
1994, Irrigated, Sen.River, Big Scheme |
5.02 |
723 |
144 |
1994, Irrigated, Sen.River, Small Scheme |
5 |
866 |
173 |
Sustainable rice production would greatly depend on the establishment of appropriate policy to provide support to farmers especially in-terms of input supply and output marketing. The development of lowland rice production with improved water supply and control in the south would be essential.
Research and Development Institutes
· Institut senegalais de recherche agronomique Centre de recherche agronomique, Sinthiou Maleme
· Station de recherches agricoles du Fleuve, B.P. 29 Richard-Toll Region du Fleuve
· SAED, Route de Khor, 74 Saint-Louis, Senegal; Tel 611380; Fax 611463.
· Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles (ISRA), B.P. 246 Saint-Louis, Senegal.
· Centre de Recherches Rizicoles de Djibélor (ISRA), B.P. 34 Ziguinchor, Senegal.
· Centre de recherches agronomiques, Zuiginchor, Djibelor
· Institut senegalais de recherche agronomique Centre national de recherche agricole B.P. 3120 Route du Front de Terre Dakar-Hann Phone: 215303 Telex: 3117 ISRA SG
· Societe d'amenagement et d'exploitation du Delta, B.P. 74 Saint Louis
· WARDA Sahel Irrigated Rice Research Program, B.P. 96 St. Louis Phone: 626493 Telex: 69138 ADRAO CI,BOUAKE Fax: (221) 611491 Email: [email protected]
· Direction de la production et du controle des semences B.P. 3386 Dakar Phone: 216878
· ISRA, BP. 34. Ziguinchor, Senegal, Tel. (221) 91 12 05, Fax: (221) 91 12 93