Analysis of Rice Value Chain in Ebonyi State Nigeria

Rice is an important staple food for many households in Nigeria. It is a food security crop and returns from rice production is expected to raise the income of the value chain actors. Nigeria is ecologically endowed for rice production. However, the supply falls short of demand, making the nation import dependent. Rising imports over the years has fuelled neglect for the produce of local farmers as well as depleted the foreign reserve. To address this challenge, the Federal Government initiated a policy to drive value chain of rice production. In the wake of this policy, farmers and other actors are encouraged to increase rice production. However, the best production system to adopt for optimum production is not well known. More so, rice produced is usually sold as paddy or consumed by the farming household. The results of this research is timely as it addresses some of this critical issues and makes important policy recommendations.