Niger prioritizes local rice production to bolster food security

NIGER – The government of Niger has prioritized local rice production in its national food security strategy in a bid to address the dual challenge of bridging the production gap and reducing dependence on rice imports.

The country imports nearly 80% of its rice to meet an annual demand of over 500,000 tonnes of milled rice, with domestic production standing at just 83,000 tonnes.

Ousmane Mahamane, the Minister of Agriculture, highlighted this ambition during the closing ceremony of the promotional sales week for local rice, held from January 21 to 27.

The government’s plan is rooted in flagship agricultural development initiatives such as the Large Irrigation Program (2024-2027). This program aims to double paddy rice production to over 300,000 tonnes annually by 2027, a substantial increase from the 142,500 tonnes recorded in 2023, according to the Statistics Directorate.

Moreover, as part of the US$653 million “National Rice Development Strategy” (SNDR) launched in 2022, Niger hopes to further elevate its paddy rice production to nearly 1.4 million tonnes by 2032.

This long-term strategy underscores the government’s commitment to achieving food and nutrition security by reducing reliance on imports and meeting the rising domestic demand.

Despite these ambitious goals, rice currently plays a limited role in the local cereal supply, which is predominantly composed of millet and sorghum. In 2023, cereal production in Niger exceeded 5 million tonnes, with rice accounting for only about 3% of the total output, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

However, rice consumption is steadily gaining importance in the dietary habits of the Nigerien population.

Since 2018, annual per capita rice consumption has been estimated at over 20.4 kilograms, bringing national demand to 435,150 tonnes. Projections from the Ministry of Agriculture indicate that this demand could rise to 692,859 tonnes by 2030.

The government has been in the forefront to caution its citizens from food shortage.

In October 2024, the government  announced an export ban, until further notice, on key food products, including paddy rice, milled rice, millet, sorghum, corn, and cowpea, in an effort to safeguard food security.

The General Secretariat of the Government made this decision public in a press release on October 16, highlighting that neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali, which together with Niger form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), are exempt from the ban.

The Nigerien government issued a stern warning to violators, stating that any cargo seized in breach of this ban will be confiscated by the Niger Food Products Office (OPVN) with no restitution, and offenders could face both administrative and criminal penalties.

“Any person violating this measure will have their cargo seized and made available to the Niger Food Products Office (OPVN), without the possibility of restitution and without prejudice to administrative and/or criminal sanctions ,” noted the statement.

The ban is crucial to ensuring sufficient access to basic staples for Niger’s population, especially in light of recent disruptions to agricultural production.

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