Confronting genetic gains with markets: Retrospective lessons from New Rice for Africa (NERICA) in Uganda
Breeders have two non-exclusive strategic investment options for increasing smallholder farmers’ and consumers’ livelihoods through genetic improvement of crop varieties: (i) enhancing productivity; and (ii) enhancing value and market access. New Rice for Africa (NERICA) varieties with superior agro...
| Autores principales: | , , |
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| Formato: | Journal Article |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
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SAGE Publications
2020
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| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/164453 |
| _version_ | 1855528453925765120 |
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| author | Britwum, Kofi Owusu, Eric S. Demont, Matty |
| author_browse | Britwum, Kofi Demont, Matty Owusu, Eric S. |
| author_facet | Britwum, Kofi Owusu, Eric S. Demont, Matty |
| author_sort | Britwum, Kofi |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Breeders have two non-exclusive strategic investment options for increasing smallholder farmers’ and consumers’ livelihoods through genetic improvement of crop varieties: (i) enhancing productivity; and (ii) enhancing value and market access. New Rice for Africa (NERICA) varieties with superior agronomic characteristics were bred and introduced in various African countries in the early 2000s. Two decades later, drought tolerant NERICA4 is among the popular upland rice varieties grown across Africa. We analyze market evidence for NERICA4 from Uganda in 2011, i.e. well before it massively reached urban markets, where it is currently commingled with standard rice. We then compare the breeding priorities that would have ensued from the 2011 market evidence with the reality a decade later. Non-hypothetical auction experiments with consumers were conducted in urban Uganda in 2011 to predict potential market share and value of non-fragrant NERICA4 and fragrant NERICA1, relative to two market standards, i.e. non-fragrant Kaiso, and Supa, the most popular fragrant rice variety in the region. Average consumer bids positioned the two NERICAs between both market standards. Whereas NERICA1 easily outcompeted NERICA4 and Kaiso in the non-fragrant rice category, it failed to compete with Supa in the fragrant category. The 2011 market evidence would have suggested breeders prioritize investment in breeding programs for fragrant NERICAs to help smallholders gain access to high-value markets and expand consumers’ choice with cheaper fragrant rice alternatives. However, the popularity of NERICA4 relative to NERICA1 in farmers’ fields seems to suggest that agronomic genetic gains may have outweighed market traits such as fragrance. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace164453 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publishDateRange | 2020 |
| publishDateSort | 2020 |
| publisher | SAGE Publications |
| publisherStr | SAGE Publications |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1644532025-05-14T10:24:13Z Confronting genetic gains with markets: Retrospective lessons from New Rice for Africa (NERICA) in Uganda Britwum, Kofi Owusu, Eric S. Demont, Matty agronomy crop science animal science zoology ecology Breeders have two non-exclusive strategic investment options for increasing smallholder farmers’ and consumers’ livelihoods through genetic improvement of crop varieties: (i) enhancing productivity; and (ii) enhancing value and market access. New Rice for Africa (NERICA) varieties with superior agronomic characteristics were bred and introduced in various African countries in the early 2000s. Two decades later, drought tolerant NERICA4 is among the popular upland rice varieties grown across Africa. We analyze market evidence for NERICA4 from Uganda in 2011, i.e. well before it massively reached urban markets, where it is currently commingled with standard rice. We then compare the breeding priorities that would have ensued from the 2011 market evidence with the reality a decade later. Non-hypothetical auction experiments with consumers were conducted in urban Uganda in 2011 to predict potential market share and value of non-fragrant NERICA4 and fragrant NERICA1, relative to two market standards, i.e. non-fragrant Kaiso, and Supa, the most popular fragrant rice variety in the region. Average consumer bids positioned the two NERICAs between both market standards. Whereas NERICA1 easily outcompeted NERICA4 and Kaiso in the non-fragrant rice category, it failed to compete with Supa in the fragrant category. The 2011 market evidence would have suggested breeders prioritize investment in breeding programs for fragrant NERICAs to help smallholders gain access to high-value markets and expand consumers’ choice with cheaper fragrant rice alternatives. However, the popularity of NERICA4 relative to NERICA1 in farmers’ fields seems to suggest that agronomic genetic gains may have outweighed market traits such as fragrance. 2020-12 2024-12-19T12:53:53Z 2024-12-19T12:53:53Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/164453 en Open Access SAGE Publications Britwum, Kofi; Owusu, Eric S and Demont, Matty. 2020. Confronting genetic gains with markets: Retrospective lessons from New Rice for Africa (NERICA) in Uganda. Outlook Agric, Volume 49 no. 4 p. 298-310 |
| spellingShingle | agronomy crop science animal science zoology ecology Britwum, Kofi Owusu, Eric S. Demont, Matty Confronting genetic gains with markets: Retrospective lessons from New Rice for Africa (NERICA) in Uganda |
| title | Confronting genetic gains with markets: Retrospective lessons from New Rice for Africa (NERICA) in Uganda |
| title_full | Confronting genetic gains with markets: Retrospective lessons from New Rice for Africa (NERICA) in Uganda |
| title_fullStr | Confronting genetic gains with markets: Retrospective lessons from New Rice for Africa (NERICA) in Uganda |
| title_full_unstemmed | Confronting genetic gains with markets: Retrospective lessons from New Rice for Africa (NERICA) in Uganda |
| title_short | Confronting genetic gains with markets: Retrospective lessons from New Rice for Africa (NERICA) in Uganda |
| title_sort | confronting genetic gains with markets retrospective lessons from new rice for africa nerica in uganda |
| topic | agronomy crop science animal science zoology ecology |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/164453 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT britwumkofi confrontinggeneticgainswithmarketsretrospectivelessonsfromnewriceforafricanericainuganda AT owusuerics confrontinggeneticgainswithmarketsretrospectivelessonsfromnewriceforafricanericainuganda AT demontmatty confrontinggeneticgainswithmarketsretrospectivelessonsfromnewriceforafricanericainuganda |