Overview

Thailand’s rice sector is one of the most established in Southeast Asia, ranking as the world’s second-largest rice exporter in 2024. That year, the country produced approximately 30 million metric tons of paddy rice across over 10 million hectares, with an average yield of 3 metric tons per hectare. The rice sector supports millions of rural livelihoods and plays a vital role in national food security and global supply.

Despite its strength, Thailand’s rice production faces several complex challenges. Climate change has intensified droughts, floods, and temperature extremes, leading to declining yields, soil degradation, and reduced grain quality. Additionally, socio-economic shifts, such as rising labor costs and an aging rural population, contribute to labor shortages. While mechanization could help address these issues, most rice farmers are smallholders who have limited access to advanced technologies and markets.

As a major rice-producing country, Thailand also contributes to agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. Although national policies increasingly prioritize mitigation, translating plans into scalable action remains challenging.

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) supports Thailand through strategic partnerships with the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and the Rice Department. Collaborations include the development of climate-smart national roadmaps, enhancing Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems, and establishing policy frameworks for low-emission practices and access to carbon markets. IRRI also supports research on Direct Seeded Rice (DSR), drone-based mechanization, and the valorization of rice straws.

Current initiatives focus on expanding farmer access to digital tools, scaling precision water management, and facilitating public-private investment in sustainable innovations. IRRI also works to engage youth, promote biodiversity, and integrate climate-smart agriculture data into national statistics.

Through these initiatives, IRRI aims to align policy, research, and grassroots adoption to build a more resilient and sustainable rice sector in Thailand.

Overview

Vietnam's rice sector is a cornerstone of its economy and regional food security, producing over 42 million tons in 2022, with the Mekong River Delta contributing roughly 50%. Vietnam ranks third in rice exports globally, trailing only slightly behind Thailand in volume but trading at 36% lower value. While past intensification efforts have been successful, the focus is now shifting towards high-quality, low-emission production. The government's ambitious One Million Hectares of High Quality and Low-Emission Rice (1mHa) Program signifies this transition, aiming for a specialized, sustainable, and climate-resilient value chain.

Challenges in the rice value chain include the need for sustainable intensification, adaptation to climate change impacts like drought and salinity, high agronomic inputs due to low farming efficiency, high Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emission due to the conventional practices of continuous flooding irrigation and rice straw management. To address these, IRRI, in collaboration with the Government and partners in Vietnam, developed the technical guidelines associated with high quality and low-emission rice production, which is well demonstrated through pilot models ìn 2024-2025. Furthermore, IRRI offers thematic solutions centered on:

• Breeding rice varieties for tolerance to drought, salinity, submergence, and improved quality.
• Developing and promoting innovations supporting high productivity and low-emission rice production, such as mechanized direct seeding combined fertilizer deep placement, alternate wetting and drying, and climate-smart mapping and adaptation planning, etc. to enhance soil health, land use and water productivity, conserve resources, rice farming productivity, and reduce emissions.
• Improving crop residue management and circular economy, including innovations for improved in-field rice straw decomposition and optimized off-field handling, processing, and recycling of organic fertilizer back to the field.
• Developing digital tools for monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) of GHG emissions like the Rice Computation Engine for Greenhouse Gas Emissions (RiceGEM) and Rice Activity Monitoring and Reporting System (RiceMoRe).
• Enhancing capacity building efficiency through AI-based E-Extension and providing training on advanced rice management and new technologies.
• Improving rice value chains through EasyFarm app - matchmaking between farmers and other stakeholders along rice value chains.

Overview

Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR) is a mountainous, landlocked Southeast Asian country, 85% of which lies in the Lower Mekong basin. The agriculture sector of the country contributes about 16% to the country’s GDP and employs around 58% of the working population.

About half of the country’s households are composed of smallholder, subsistence farmers in which rice is majorly cultivated. Most of their lowland rainfed and irrigated rice-growing areas can be found in Vientiane, Savannakhet, and Champasak Plains. Lao PDR is known for their glutinous or sticky rice which accounts for 90% of the production in the country. Khao niaw, as Laotians call their sticky rice, is a way of life. However, intense weather variabilities due to frequent drought and floods have threatened national rice production.

In 2025, FAO reported that the Government of Lao PDR aims to improve its agricultural sectors’ growth by 2.5%, aiming to improve nutritional outcomes, agricultural production, and securing market access regionally and internationally. Specifically, Lao PDR’s government is prioritizing the conservation of rice biodiversity for improved sustainability, developing high quality and productive rice varieties suited for local environments, improving seed systems, improving agronomy, plant protection, mechanization, and post-harvest processes for value addition, and improving irrigation systems to increase overall irrigated rice areas.

The first memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Lao PDR and IRRI was signed in 1987. Heightened collaborative work began when the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) supported the Lao PDR-IRRI Research and Training Project from 1990 to 2007. This project aimed to improve and strengthen rice research capacity within the country and included research support, development, and training. An offshoot of the project was the development of a national rice research network, which, by the end of 1995, included all provinces of the country.

On 12 January 2007, Dr. Sitaheng Rasphone, Lao PDR Minister for Agriculture and Forestry, and Dr. Robert Zeigler, IRRI director general, signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a regional hub in Lao PDR and as a result, the IRRI-Greater Mekong Subregion office in Lao PDR was formally opened. The office has since become the IRRI-Lao PDR office.

Overview

Indonesia is a Southeast Asian country made up of more than 17,000 islands, making it the largest archipelagic nation in the world. Its unique geography and climate contribute to one of the biggest biodiversity on the planet. Agriculture plays a vital role in the country's economy, accounting for approximately 12% of Indonesia's GDP (World Bank, 2023). Additionally, rice holds significant cultural importance, celebrated through various rituals that remain strong among those who adhere to traditional beliefs.

Rice drives Indonesia’s agriculture sector and is a staple crop for about 90% of its population. In 2023, USDA-FAS recorded that the country produced about 33 million tons of rice making it one of the leading rice producers in the world. However, this is currently challenged by the rising number of imports which stood at 4 million tons the same year. About 90% of rice producers are from smallholder rice communities who own an average of less than a hectare of land for rice cultivation.

The Indonesian Government is focusing on increasing rice production by optimizing the use of swampy and rainfed areas, reducing imports, and harnessing mechanization. IRRI is committed to supporting these efforts to promote modern and sustainable agriculture in the country. IRRI is also contributing to the government’s goals to improve rural prosperity, food security, and environmental sustainability by helping farmers access integrated crop and nutrient management information through the Layanan Konsultasi Padi 2.0 (LKP) also known as Indonesia’s Rice Crop Manager.

Overview

The Kingdom of Cambodia is located on the Indochinese peninsula in Southeast Asia. This region is where the Mekong River meets Tonle Sap, the largest lake in Southeast Asia. Agriculture plays a significant role in the country’s economy, providing employment and a livelihood for the majority of its rural population. Rice, particularly award-winning varieties such as Phka Rumduol and Malis Angkor, is a staple crop in Cambodia, supporting millions of farmers in rural areas.

Rice tightly ties IRRI with Cambodia’s history. At a time when the nation was faced with food shortages, several rice seeds and traditional varieties were lost. Through the support of the International Rice Genebank (IRG), which was able to conserve 766 Cambodian rice seeds from December 1972 to January 1973, the country was able to reinvigorate its rice seed supplies. This is a concrete impact of the conservation efforts of IRRI since the 1960s and its continued commitment to supporting each nation’s food and nutritional security.

According to USDA, Cambodia is among the top 10 largest rice producers in the world, with its production capabilities expanding fivefold compared to 1993. This can be attributed to the expansion of harvested land. However, Cambodia is up against other major rice producing countries, as there is a need to improve their climate resilience, soil and nutrient supplies, and agronomic practices. Furthermore, it has been recorded by the Ministry of Water Resources and Agrometeorology that only 24% of the agricultural areas are irrigated. Salinity is also increasing along coastal areas.

IRRI is working collaboratively with the with the Royal Government of Cambodia, the country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) by providing capacity-building and increasing yields through the development of improved varieties and disseminating sustainable crop, nutrient, and pest management practices. IRRI is exploring the introduction of salinity-tolerant rice varieties as well as developing low-emission technology packages to help farmers become more climate resilient.

Overview

Uganda, is situated in the African Great Lakes region, possesses a diverse a climate and rich biodiversity that support its agricultural development. While rice is relatively a new crop for Ugandan farmers, the government has identified it as strategic for achieving food security and poverty reduction, as outlined in the National Rice Development Strategy (NRDS) for 2008-2018 and the NRDS II.

Rice consumption increases by 4% annually and currently, demand exceeds local production. The rice market has experienced significant growth since 2000, with production peaking in 2022 at 347,000 MT before declining to 260,000 MT in 2023. The market has shown resilience and expansion over the past two decades, but recent fluctuations suggest potential challenges, such as climate variability or market dynamics, which may influence future production and consumption trends. Uganda's rice production has shown significant growth from 109,000 MT in 2000 to a peak of 347,000 MT in 2022, before declining to 260,000 MT in 2023 (FAO stat, 2023).

This growth was primarily driven by land expansion, which contributed to 90% of the increased production, while yields remained stagnant or declined in some areas (NRDSII, 2024). Key drivers behind these trends include: (a) The introduction of New Rice for Africa (NERICA) varieties improved resilience and productivity, particularly in upland ecologies, which account for 46% of production (b) investments in irrigation infrastructure supported consistent production, especially in lowland ecologies (54% of production),(d) The expansion of the rice milling sector enhanced market access and value addition, incentivizing farmers to increase production, and (e) Improved coordination among stakeholders and technology dissemination under the National Rice Development Strategy (NRDS I) framework facilitated production growth (NRDSII, 2024).

Smallholder farmers, primarily located in the Eastern and Nothern regions account for 80% of the rice producers in the country. These farmers cultivate rice mainly under rainfed and irrigated ecosystems. Despite ranking among the top 5 rice producers in the East and South African region according to FAOSTAT, productivity remains low (Senthilkumar et al., 2020). This is largely attributable to limited investment in essential inputs such as irrigation, quality seeds, and mechanization, as well as inadequate access to advanced postharvest technologies and insufficient pest and disease management (Strecker et al., 2022). This demonstrates the considerable potential for growth if farmers' productivity is improved.

IRRI supports the development of Uganda’s rice industry by building its value starting from the seed. IRRI aims to bolster production and address demand gaps by promoting certified quality rice seeds and building key partnerships for seed development. IRRI also supported the research, development, and commercialization of key rice varieties in Uganda.

Overview

Tanzania is located within the African Great Lakes region which is known for its large freshwater lakes which are home to a large portion of country’s biodiversity. Rice is an immensely important crop for the country’s food and nutrition security, as well as socioeconomic development which is why the Government of Tanzania positioned it as a strategic crop.

Domestic consumption has increased at an average of 2.1 million metric tons annually due to raising income and urbanization which has also driven dietary shifts in the country. About 70% of the rice in the country is produced in 6 regions namely Shinyanga, Tabora, Mwanza, Mbeya, Rukwa, and Morogoro. As a leading rice producer in Africa, Tanzania produced estimated at 3 million metric tons which meets their domestic demands turning them into a rice self-sufficient nation.

Majority of Tanzania’s rice farmers are smallholders, with more women (about 80%) being involved in agriculture compared to 70% for men. Women are highly involved in multiple stages of rice production from planting, weeding, harvesting, up to trading while men are commonly responsible during land preparation.

Multiple opportunities for rice value chain development exist in the country. IRRI is collaborating with the public and private sector to support the development of seed systems in Tanzania. Local companies are enabled by building their capacities on quality seed production and linking them to markets. However, there is still a need for improved rice seed varieties that are resilient to drought, major pests and diseases, and flooding.

To ensure that improved rice varieties are adopted by farmers, millers, traders, and consumers, IRRI ensures the integration of market intelligence into the breeding process. There is also a need to optimize agronomic management practices to realize the potential of improved varieties. Additionally, adoption of labor saving, harvest and post-harvest technologies can reduce drudgery, especially for women farmers, and reduce quantity and quality losses, to make Tanzania rice competitive.

There are also existing formal institutions that provide support to irrigation (National Irrigation Commission) and mechanization (Center for Agricultural Mechanization and Rural Technology). Institutions like them help farmers gain access to improved input and technologies as well as modern irrigation technologies.

Overview

Mozambique is an East African country with a rapidly growing agriculture sector. Rice is a socioeconomically essential crop, with its annual domestic consumption (8.6%) overtaking other cereals. Because of this, the Government of Mozambique identified rice as one of its priority crops under their Strategic Plan for Agricultural Development (PEDSA). They also made it a priority to develop the rice sector under the National Agriculture Investment Plan (PNISA).

Around 97.7% of rice in Mozambique is grown mostly by smallholder farmers from the provinces of Sofala, Zambézia, Nampula, and Cabo Delgado. However, irrigation is more common in Gaza, Maputo, and some parts of Sofala and Zambézia. The potential land area for cultivation across the country stands at around 900,000 ha which is significantly higher than the actual area used which is at about 310,000 ha.

The government priorities involve the research and development of high-yielding rice varieties which can adapt to both irrigated and rainfed lowland ecosystems, as well as the dissemination of improved rice production technologies. This includes the promotion and use of certified seeds and fertilizers, building capacity for seed quality control, and the establishment of rice seed information system. Mechanization and post-harvest technologies will also be promoted and the extension and maintenance of irrigation schemes across the rice-producing provinces.

These are all done to address the rice production gap and lower imports by increasing the average rice productivity from 1.6t/ha to 4.2 t/ha by 2030, creating incentives to be involved in the intensification of rice production, and reducing post-harvest losses from 40% to 15%.

IRRI is working with Mozambique Institute of Agricultural Research (IIAM) to improve agricultural competitiveness based on sustainability and resilience. Since the country is mired with the impacts of climate change such as drought, cyclones, and droughts, IRRI aims to contribute to smallholder farmers’ climate resilience through the delivery of improved salinity- and submergence-tolerant rice varieties. IRRI is also working with public and private sector partners, as well as NARES, to deliver nutritious, marketpreferred, high-yielding rice seeds, all while ensuring equitable access for women and other marginalized groups in the country.

Overview

Kenya is located in East Africa, with coasts along the Indian Ocean. Its geography and climate vary greatly across its 47 counties, from the arid Chalbi Desert to the treescapes and wildlife of Masai and the snowcapped mountains of Mount Kenya. 

Rice is the third most valuable staple crop in the country. In 2008, rice was recognized as a strategic crop for achieving food security which led to the development of Kenya’s National Rice Development Strategy (NRDS). The strategy aimed to contribute to the country’s agricultural transformation and economic growth by expanding rice production capacities. In the following decade, rice production indeed doubled. However, alongside this, demand and consumption significantly rose because of changing eating habits and the growing young population.

Climate change poses a huge threat to smallholder rice farmers, as reports show that extreme weather events such as droughts and floods are becoming even more frequent and intense. Sea levels are rising bringing more saline into the soil, making it difficult for farmers to cultivate rice. This is crucial since outside of the 80% irrigated rice farms, other smallholder farmers depend on rain for water supply.

With this, NRDS targets were updated for Phase 2 of its implementation to address the gaps identified during the first phase, specifically the production deficit, productivity gaps, lack of access to inputs and credit facilities, poor market infrastructures, and changing weather patterns among others. NRDS 2 will also focus on creating better markets and developing a functional seed system that can help smallholder rice farmers access improved varieties with better yield and therefore produce greater incomes.

IRRI works with national partners such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD) and Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), as well as key community partners like the Mwea Rice Growers Co-operative Society Ltd. (MRGM) by providing research and capacity-building support to smallholder rice farmers. IRRI facilitates the turnover of advanced machinery to help improve farmers’ productivity, incomes, and outcomes.