South Africa eyes home-grown rice as ARC expands research efforts

South Africa is taking bold steps toward reducing its dependence on rice imports by exploring the viability of home-grown upland rice. Through a major research drive led by the Agricultural Research Council's Small Grain division, scientists and industry partners are testing rice varieties capable of thriving in South Africa's diverse soils and increasingly water-scarce climate. Anelisa Gusha reports.

- Anelisa Gusha

As South Africa continues to explore sustainable solutions for food security, the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) is turning its attention to an unexpected contender – rice. At the heart of the initiative is the ARC’s Small Grain campus, where Prof Toi Tsilo and Timmy Baloyi, together with partners within the agriculture sector, academia and the rice value chain, are hard at work in establishing the development and production of upland rice cultivars for adoption in South Africa.

This project at ARC-Small Grain is strategically aimed at shaping the agriculture sector to provide opportunities for economic growth within the rice value chain which farmers can participate in.

According to project lead Baloyi, the initiative aligns naturally with existing grain production practices and carries major economic potential, from lowering import costs and creating jobs to strengthening national food security.

As research scales toward national roll-out, the project signals a transformative opportunity: a climate-resilient, locally produced staple that could reshape South Africa's agricultural landscape and bolster resilience in the face of climate extremes.

Unlike traditional paddy rice, which requires large volumes of water, different cultivars are being tested for their ability to thrive in South Africa's diverse soils and increasingly water-scarce climate, potentially laying the foundation for a future domestic rice value chain.

UPLAND RICE PROJECT