Selected policy issues : rice

National demand for rice exceeded local production, resulting in imports equivalent to 40% of local estimated production in 1987, with a Kinshasa market value of $35 million. Given the data available and using Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) estimates of theoretical demand, production would need to increase by 10% per year between 1988 and 2000 to equal demand. As this is unlikely, imports can be expected to continue. Due to the small relative cost of these imports, one could argue from a political point of view that a cheap food policy could be useful in the very short term. Given existing marketing constraints and large deficit in supply, it appears likely that further increases in rice imports might not affect producer prices in the short term. Increasing demand has been reflected in a slow increase in the real price of rice and in rising consumption in spite of lower real prices for maize grain, maize flour, manioc tubers, and manioc flour. It would appear, therefore, that current and real prices of rice should be related to those of maize and manioc flour, i.e., finished, ready to cook items like rice. Some discussion was made regarding selected issues based on the author"s experience in the Zone of Bumba in 1988. The main concerns included: (1) the availability and reliability of basic data; (2) the extreme shortage of improved seeds; and (3) a possible deterioration in existing seed quality (apparently related to strong demand among traders and the existing attractive profitability of growing and marketing rice in spite of numerous well documented constraints). The discussion suggested the need to further clarify agronomic and economic aspects of production and marketing. In particular, the superior cost-of-production efficiency of traditional farmers was highlighted as well as the need to clarify the role of large established traders as policies of liberalization come into effect. Future studies should review why Kinshasa market prices reflect such higher prices over imported food costs, and the extent to which food imports might be further increased before affecting production prices. (Author abstract)