Assessment of Upland Rice Production Constraints and Farmers’ Preferred Varieties in Liberia

Abstract

Rice (Oryza spp) is the primary staple food crop for over 5.3 million people in Liberia that significantly contribute to food security. Despite the numerous benefits of rice, its production in Liberia has remained heavily constrained by low yield, diseases and rainfall variability. To improve rice adoption and productivity in Liberia, it is very important to understand farmer’s production constraints and identify their own preferred rice varieties. This study was conducted to assess key production constraints, and farmer preferred rice varieties across the three major upland rice growing Counties in Liberia. Participatory and group discussion were conducted among 328 upland rice farmers using comparative approach, probing and semi structured interviews. The results of the survey found that most of the farmers cultivated more than one variety. It also showed that there were significant differences in farmers’ preferences for rice varieties among the three counties and the choice of varieties varied significantly across districts. Of the nine districts, Jorquelleh had the highest proportion of farmers who chose to grow Jaowo followed by Fassama, Mienpea Mahn district, and Congo, Zoe Gbao Districts. Across the nine districts, Jaowo is the most preferred variety grown by farmers followed by Fassama and Black rice respectively. Constraints such as drought, pest and diseases, availability of seed, high input cost and harvesting were the major challenges affecting upland rice production as observed in the study areas. The study found out that farmers grow these rice varieties due of its high yielding capacity, early maturity and Drought tolerant. The highly preferred varieties desired by farmers were high grain yield, tall plant height, early flowering and good cooking quality. Rice breeders in Liberia should grasp the preferences of farmers and consumers in their breeding programmes, and the farmers must also be aware of consumer preferences in order to be able to meet their demands.