conference paper
Rice milling in Sub-Saharan Africa relies heavily on water availability and stable weather, exposing processors to severe climate-related disruptions. An assessment of rice millers in Makurdi and Adikpo in Benue State, Nigeria, shows that operations are intensely vulnerable to flooding, high humidity, unseasonal wetness, extreme dryness, and water shortages. Local millers currently rely on reactive, endogenous coping mechanisms. These practices include temporarily moving or evacuating equipment, altering drying techniques, staggering drying schedules, reducing or halting parboiling during flood events, and digging wells to secure water. Despite these operational adjustments, locally processed rice frequently suffers from poor grain quality and weak market competitiveness. Addressing these vulnerabilities requires moving beyond temporary coping tactics toward upgraded processing technologies, reinforced infrastructure, and collective adaptation initiatives across the rice value chain.
Weather and water disruptions during post-harvest processing directly harm final grain quality and undermine the economic viability of local processors. Understanding the operational realities and limits of informal coping strategies helps policy makers and development partners design targeted interventions. Upgrading these systems is crucial for reducing post-harvest losses, strengthening local food supply chains, and safeguarding rural livelihoods in regions exposed to severe climate variability.
The findings highlight an unaddressed need for equipment manufacturers, agricultural engineers, and technology providers to supply upgraded, climate-resilient drying and milling machinery to rural processors. Because this research focuses on diagnosing vulnerabilities and documenting existing informal practices rather than testing interventions, technical solutions remain at an early concept stage. Future opportunities lie in developing affordable, flood-resistant parboiling systems, improved mechanical dryers, and shared infrastructure for small-scale milling clusters.
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Rice milling in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remains highly dependent on water availability and favorable weather conditions, making local millers vulnerable to water- and weather-related pressures (WWrP). This study examines how rice millers in Makurdi and Adikpo, Benue State, Nigeria, adapt to these pressures. Data were collected through snowball sampling involving 21 rice millers and two workshops attended by 14 millers. Content and thematic analyses of data were carried out using NVivo 11. Findings indicate that rice milling operations are highly exposed and sensitive to flooding, excessive wetness, dryness, high humidity, and water scarcity. These pressures are likely to intensify due to climate change and pronounced climate variability. To adapt, millers employ endogenous strategies, including temporarily relocating or evacuating mills, rotating drying schedules, modifying drying methods, reducing or suspending parboiling during floods, and digging wells. In spite of these adaptation measures, locally milled rice continues to face issues of poor quality and diminished competitiveness. Consequently, this study highlights upgrading milling technologies and infrastructure, promoting proactive and long-term adaptation measures, and supporting collective adaptation strategies among millers to enhance resilience in the rice value chain.
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DOI: 10.3390/proceedings2025118016
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