Adoption and Determinants of Intensive Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Cultivation in Burkina Faso: A Case Study Approach

Abstract

In the rice sector, the adoption of new technologies such as the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is one of the best options to improve productivity and increase rice production in Burkina Faso. High domestic demand leads to massive outflows of foreign currency every year. The objective of this study is to analyze the factors influencing the adoption of the System of Rice Intensification in the developed lowland of Songo II, a village located in the Pô commune in the Nahouri province. To achieve this goal, a survey was conducted in 2024 with twenty-five (25) rice farmers from the site using a standardized questionnaire.  The sample size is 25 (n=25). The results showed certain advantages in practicing the intensive rice cultivation system, notably, the increase in yield (6222 kg/ha for the intensive rice cultivation system compared to 4444 kg/ha for the traditional system) and the reduction in the amount of seed used. However, a number of difficulties have been noted.  Most of the respondents find sowing and thinning to one plant per hill quite tedious and slow, the time required for practicing the intensive rice cultivation system, the insufficiency of organic fertilizer, the lack of labor, and the absence of water to cope with climatic hazards. Moreover, the intensity of adoption of a new agricultural technology is positively influenced by its economic profitability (gross margin of 439,400 FCFA for the intensive rice farming system compared to 417,800 FCFA for the traditional system), the labor demand of the technological package, as well as the level of investment required for the farming technique and its ease of implementation, and contact with agricultural extension services. While yield increased significantly, the gross margin difference was narrow due to high labor costs. Given the benefits highlighted by producers and considering that the intensive rice cultivation system represents a technological package that already encompasses good agricultural practices, it could be recommended to rice growers to rely on the positive aspects identified to improve their usual practices. However, this approach must be considered within the context of adapting to their socio-economic and agro-ecological production conditions to facilitate its adoption.