The rice sector in the Ruzizi Plain in Eastern DRC: Organization and transmission of information[La filière riz dans la plaine de la Ruzizi à l'est de la RDC. Organisation et transmission de l'information]

The rice sector in the Ruzizi Plain in eastern of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is important in terms of the food habits of the region's populations and the incomes of farmers. This article is based on a survey of stakeholders in the sector and illustrates (i) the organization of the sector, specifying the role of commercial intermediaries; (ii) transactional characteristics (the type of coordination); and (iii) the factors that enable producers to take advantage of information on price and quality. Transactions in the rice sector are organized around three circuits, although the Bralima brewery circuit is largely dominant, accounting for almost 80% of local rice production. It is a reliable outlet for producers, but its weight leaves little opportunity for the development of the table rice sector, which suffers from competition from imported rice.