Factors Influencing Rice Productivity by Different Ecosystems: A Case Study on Prefecture of Faranah, Republic of Guinea

Abstract

Rice growing regions in Guinea are mainly located in three types of land zones (lowlands, plains, and Hillsides). Rice cultivation is concentrated in Kankan, Kouroussa, Siguiri and Faranah in upper Guinea, where the rice field is poorly cultivated due to insufficient labor input causes by the migration to fluvial-marine industry. The research area has a diversified natural ecological endowment, such as inland flood plains and lowlands with a great diversity of water resources. The aims of the study are to analyze net income and profitability of rice production on households by different ecosystem features in the prefecture of Faranah. Data were collected with 270 respondents selected in eight rural communes and the Faranah center randomly; first hand data were obtained using structured questionnaires. The linear regression analysis showed that lowland farmers ‘capital inputs, net income, and fertilizer were highly significant (P<0.01); however, gender, labor cost and household size were significant (P<0.05). For the farmers in the plain area, it was indicated that, rice production profit was not highly significant due to the higher production input costs, but training, capital inputs, gender and age of farmers were significant (P<0.05); In the hillsides, the result shows that the net income and capital inputs were highly significant related (P<0.01) whilst farm size and labor cost are significant at 5%, where the input of fertilizer is less significant. The gross margin analysis shows that net incomes of each land types are 3773 to 8993 US$/ha in the lowland areas compared to the plains areas (3892 to 11348 US$/ha) and the hillsides with (3863 to 9708 US$/ha) respectively. Based on these findings, the authors recommend to the government and private organizations to help rice producers improve the inputs and influencing factors based on the various ecosystems in different land zones.

Keywords: Ecosystem rice production, lowlands, plains, hillsides, arable land, revenue.