Chapter 13. Rice in Mali: Policies for competitive and inclusive value chain development 439
Figure 15. Lowest and highest added value added per ha according to selling and production methods in Sikasso
Source: DNGR, 2009
Incorporating the actual number of people in farm households to these results leads to more nuanced conclusions.
In Ségou, for example, the irrigated rice is the most profitable. Its 431 597 XOF/ha gain for paddy sold in the
primary market suggests that after two annual crop seasons, rice farmers may have more than 215 000 XOF/
person per year. This would allow them to overcome extreme poverty that has an absolute threshold of 162 000
XOF/person/year^16 as set by the United Nations. However, further investigation should be conducted to determine
what other sources of additional income producers might have in order to reach more robust conclusions.
- Towards a sustainable rice production for Mali
The future of the rice sector in Mali depends on how the assets and opportunities described in the
previous chapters will be employed. The impact of responses to the weaknesses and threats will be even
more important. The current situation offers sufficient leeway and levers to boost the industry in terms
of competitiveness, food security, fighting against poverty or economic development.
3.1 The sector’s constraints
Constraints in the rice sector are many and varied and also represent challenges. They are classified into two
categories, production and marketing. This section focuses on the obstacles faced by farmers in terms of
adding value to their production, better integrating the market and what hinders their income growth. These
objectives seem to be linked to marketing but they are actually rooted in the production domain.
(^16) The 162 000 XOF were obtained by calculating the threshold of one dollar/day year (365 days), with an exchange
rate of 450 XOF. They may therefore vary.
0
(^) 61 85 1 207 900
87 42 4 289 170
(^) 94 94 6 309 582
(^)
Natural flooding Irrigated rice
50 000
100 00 0
150 00 0
200 00 0
250 00 0
300 00 0
350 00 0
Margin farmgate paddy XOF/ha
Margin primary market XOF/ha
Margin husked rice XOF/ha