Description
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background information
The two major species of rice commonly cultivated are Oryza glaberrima and
Oryza sativa, with Nigeria and Madagacar accounting for 60% of the rice land in sub
Saharan Africa (SSA) (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
(CGIAR), 2006). Nigeria is currently the highest rice producer in West Africa,
producing an average of 3.2 million tons of paddy (2 million tons of milled rice)
(Damola, 2010). Rice indeed is no longer a luxury food in Nigeria, and it has become a
major source of calories for the urban poor. The report further adds that the poorest of
urban households obtain 33 percent of their cereal-based calories from rice and therefore
rice purchases represent a major component of cash expenditure on cereals.
Swamp rice (SR) is a major food crop of the world by virtue of the extent and
variety of uses and its adaptability to a broad range of climatic, edaphic and cultural
conditions. It is grown under shallow flood or wet paddy conditions. Swamp production
is concentrated in areas where management is convenient on flat low lands, river basins
and delta areas. The crop flourishes well in humid regions of the sub tropic and
temperate climates. About 90% of the world’s swamp rice is produced in tropical,
semitropical areas and consumed where it is grown by small-scale farmers in low-
income developing countries (Food and Agriculture Organization, (FAO)