Introducing Rice Milling as a Service to Sub-Saharan Africa

**问题：**44个非洲国家生产了2210万公吨加工大米(FAOSTAT 2018)。种植面积为1424万公顷，水稻产量从0.59公吨/公顷(刚果)到8.83公吨/公顷(埃及)不等。尼日利亚是非洲人口最多的国家，每年消费700万公吨加工大米。像许多非洲国家一样，尼日利亚应该自给自足。然而，较低的田间产量(2.04公吨/公顷)和不充分的加工基础设施无法与进口大米质量相匹配。因此，即使作为最大的生产国：460万吨，240万吨的进口成本也高达18.2亿美元。大约1.8MMT由10,000个低质量的小型处理器(1Mt/天)处理。2020年，来自大米的收入约为28亿美元，预计复合年增长率(2020-2025年)为7.9%。尼日利亚75%的小农户是女性。他们承担了80%的工作负载，但只获得了20%的价值。收获后的损失导致12.4%的食物损失。城市化、经济增长和政府政策正在推动对当地优质大米的需求。**解决方案：**与小农合作，扩大、适应、推广和应用KoolMill技术，将释放获得附加值加工的机会，使143万小农户能够生产高质量的当地加工大米。平等获得生产性资源将使妇女更多地参与收获后的价值。一种新的即付即用的商业模式使这项技术负担得起，在南沙建立了一个包容性和可持续的大米价值链。**主要目标**与5至10个小农和5个中小企业磨坊接触。提高当地大米的质量和竞争力：提高生产率和质量改变了大米价值链的动态。潜在地替代10%的进口将创造并保留当地加工的优质大米的价值2。对环境的影响：低功率、高性能的处理使现有收割的食物回报最大化3。增强妇女和青年参与包容性大米价值链的能力：与妇女和青年群体合作，确定需求，并通过采用KoolMill技术，增加对包容性价值链的参与。将女工从卑微的工作中解放出来：提供可持续的长期社会福利。减少女性在卑微工作上花费的时间(每天6小时)**创新：**与最终用户接触，了解他们的需求，并制定出技术上、经济上可行的解决方案来满足这些需求。适当调整技术的应用是创新的，如果小农采用，可以很容易地扩大规模，以瞄准更广泛的泛非洲市场。一种更简单、分布式、离网、经济可行的按需加工解决方案，在使用点提供高质量的大米，将为农村农民释放真正的价值。最大限度地扩大现有收成的粮食回报，使尼日利亚走向净零碳和零饥饿。

**Problem:** 44 African countries produced 22.1 million metric tonnes (MMT) of processed rice (FAOSTAT 2018). With 14.24m ha planted, paddy yields vary from 0.59 MT/ha (Congo) to 8.83 MT/ha (Egypt). Annually, Nigeria, with the largest African population, consumes 7MMT of processed rice. Like many African countries, Nigeria should be self-sufficient. However, poor field yields (2.04 MT/ha) and inadequate processing infrastructure cannot match imported rice quality. Consequently, even as the largest producer: 4.6MMT, 2.4MMT is imported at a cost of $1.82bn. Circa 1.8MMT is processed by 10,000 low, quality small processors (1MT/day). Revenue from rice is circa $2,8bn in 2020, projected CAGR (2020-2025) is 7.9%.75% of Nigerian smallholders are female. They undertake 80% of the workload yet access only 20% of the value. Post-harvest losses results in a 12.4% FOOD LOSS. Urbanisation, economic growth, and government policies are driving demand for high quality locally produced rice.**Solution:** Engaging with smallholders to scale, adapt, extend, and apply Koolmill technology will unlock access to added value processing, empowering 1.43m smallholders to produce high quality locally processed rice. Equal access to productive resources will enable increased female post-harvest value participation. A novel pay-as-you-mill business model makes the technology affordable, building an inclusive and sustainable rice value chain in SSA.**Key Objectives**Engage with 5 to 10 smallholders and 5 SME Millers.1. Improving quality and competitiveness of local rice: Improving productivity and quality changes the rice value chain dynamics. Potentially substituting 10% of imports will create and retain value from locally processed high-quality rice2. Environmental impact: low-power, high-performance processing maximise food return from existing harvests3. Empower female and youth participation in an inclusive rice value chain: Work with female and youth groups to identify needs and, through the adaptation of Koolmill technology, increase participation in an inclusive value chain.4. Release female workers from menial tasks: to deliver sustainable long-term societal benefits. Reduce number of hours women spend on menial tasks (\>6hrs a day)**Innovative:** engagement with end users to understand their needs and evolve a technical, economically viable solution meeting those needs. The application of suitably adapted technology is innovative and, if adopted by smallholders, can be easily scaled to target the wider pan-African market. A simpler, distributed off-grid, economically viable on-demand processing solution delivering high-quality rice at point of use will unlock true value for rural farmers. Maximising the food returned from existing harvests, moves Nigeria towards Net Zero Carbon and Zero Hunger.