Rice yield growth analysis for 24 African countries over 1960-2012

In Africa, there have been scattered reports of yield stagnation. This study examined trends in rice yields in 24 African countries based on United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) data from 1960 to 2012 using segmented linear regression, and determined factors affecting variation in yield growth rates across countries. About 74% of rice harvested area in Africa recently witnessed positive rice yield growth rates of greater than 35 kg ha(-1) year(-1) I. Lifting rice yields requires continued investment in rice research on technology development, development or rehabilitation of irrigation schemes, and upgrading of the existing rainfed lowlands to irrigated or partially irrigated systems. Priority should be given to countries with high rice consumption levels, where the investments will be more effective. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.