Extensification and Intensification Process of Rainfed Lowland Rice Farming in Mozambique

This paper explores the extensification and intensification process of rice production in Mozambique’s dominant rice ecology, i.e., rainfed lowland area. Our household-level data show that the potential of extensification is not fully exploited, as only 41% of the cultivable lowland is used for rice. The lack of power predominantly constrains rice area expansion. High potential also exists in land intensification as indicated by the average yield of 2.5 t/ha among the top 25% of rainfed farmers. Intensification through technology adoption and intensive crop care (i.e., Boserupian process) seems to be emerging among the farmers reaching their rice land limits.