CRAM varieties: High Yielding Climate Resilient Upland Rice Varieties for Africa

Climate resilient CRAM varieties for enhanced rice productivity for African farmers

CRAM (Climate Resilient Upland Rice Varieties for Africa) are high-yielding, early-maturing rice varieties developed by AfricaRice and CNRA specifically for rainfed upland and sloping areas. With a short maturity period of 101–104 days, yield potential of up to 5.0 t/ha, and resistance to major diseases such as blast and brown spot, they offer attractive opportunities across the rice value chain. Their lodging and shattering resistance can reduce production and harvest risks, while their good grain and cooking quality, including pleasant aroma in selected varieties, responds well to consumer and market preferences. For seed multipliers, certified seed production offers a 50.3% ROI, with 11.5 tonnes of G4 foundation seed already available for multiplication. Commercial grain producers can achieve around 30% ROI, while millers can benefit from 66–75% milling recovery and head rice yields of up to 68.26%.

This technology is pre-validated.

9•8

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 9/9; level of use 8/9

Cost vs. revenue

Data reliability of this estimate:: 75 %

Return on investment 30 %

Every USD invested returns USD 0.3 net income.

Detailed financial information ›

1.78 USD per kg

Certified Seed Purchase

3,220.00 USD per ha

Official Variety Certification & Inspection

3.57 USD per kg

Foundation Seed Procurement

4,000 kg per ha

Expected Seed Yield

IP

Open source / open access

Problem

Unstable yields and profitability: Drought and rainfall variability in upland systems can cause moisture stress and substantial yield losses, making rice production less predictable and profitable.
Disease-related production losses: Blast and brown spot can reduce yields and increase dependence on costly chemical disease control.
Short and variable production windows: Farmers need early-maturing varieties that can complete their cycle within limited or unpredictable rainfall periods while maintaining good yields.
Harvest and post-harvest losses: Lodging and grain shattering can reduce harvestable output, increase harvesting difficulties, and raise operational costs.
Limited grain marketability: Poor grain and cooking quality can reduce consumer acceptance, processing value, and market opportunities despite good field performance.
Lack of varieties combining multiple commercial traits: Producers and value-chain actors need varieties that combine high productivity, resilience, short maturity, crop stability, and consumer-preferred grain quality.

Solution

High productivity and returns: High yield potential improves production efficiency and farmers' potential returns, while drought and disease resistance help reduce yield variability and commercial risks.
Short production cycle: The 101–104-day maturity period enables earlier harvesting, faster turnover, and better adaptation to short rainfall periods.
Reduced crop and harvest losses: Good lodging and shattering resistance help protect harvestable yields and facilitate more efficient harvesting.
Lower input costs: Resistance to blast and brown spot helps protect yields while potentially reducing expenditure on chemical disease control.
Strong grain and processing quality: Excellent grain and cooking quality, together with 66–75% milling recovery and high head rice yields, enhance marketability and processing value.
Consumer-preferred attributes: Soft cooking texture and pleasant aroma in selected varieties (CRAM 4, 6, 8 and 12) can strengthen consumer acceptance and market demand.
Commercial seed opportunity: The availability of 11.5 tonnes of G4 foundation seed and a potential 50.3% ROI from seed multiplication provides a strong basis for commercial scale-up.
Suitable production environments: Adaptation to rainfed upland and sloping fields, particularly well-drained sandy loam and loamy soils, expands opportunities for upland rice production.

Key points to design your business plan

CRAM offers a strong commercial opportunity for seed multipliers and seed sellers, combining high demand potential with attractive seed production returns. To successfully commercialise CRAM, businesses should consider:

Focus on seed multiplication: Start with the available 11.5 tonnes of G4 foundation seed for CRAM 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6.
Target suitable markets: Prioritise rainfed upland rice-growing areas where farmers face drought, rainfall variability and disease pressure.
Plan for profitability: Seed production can generate around 50% ROI, with an expected yield of 4 t/ha and a seed market price of about US$1.78/kg.
Match varieties to demand: Promote early-maturing varieties, with aromatic options such as CRAM 4, 6, 8 and 12 where consumer preferences support them.
Maintain seed quality: Work with national seed certification authorities and comply with quality standards to ensure reliable commercial seed.
Build distribution channels: Partner with cooperatives, agro-dealers, extension services and farmer organisations to reach target farmers.
Leverage grain-market demand: Good grain and cooking quality, together with 66–75% milling recovery, can strengthen farmer and processor demand for CRAM seed.

For seed multipliers and sellers, CRAM combines an immediate seed supply opportunity, attractive production economics and varieties with strong farmer and market value.

Positive impacts: 9

Intersectional group	Positive impacts
Low-income/resource-constrained farmers	Lower production risk: Drought and disease tolerance can help stabilise yields. Suitable for rainfed systems: Farmers do not need continuous irrigation to produce CRAM. Improved food and income: Yield potential of up to 5 t/ha can increase household rice availability and marketable surplus.
Farmers in climate-vulnerable areas	Better drought adaptation: Short duration reduces exposure to late-season dry spells. More reliable production: Disease resistance and good crop stability reduce key production risks. Sustainable intensification: Higher productivity can reduce pressure to expand cultivation into natural areas.
Women and youth in seed businesses	Business opportunity: Seed multiplication offers attractive commercial potential. Employment: Opportunities exist in seed production, processing, packaging and distribution. Market participation: Growing access to quality CRAM seed can create new roles in local seed value chains.

More...

Unintended impacts: 9
Mitigations: 9

Barriers: 9
Mitigations: 9

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Drought tolerance, short duration and disease resistance support production under variable rainfall and moderate climate stress.

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Helps farmers reduce exposure to drought and erratic rainfall through adapted varieties and more reliable harvests.

Carbon footprint: Much less carbon released

Upland rainfed systems generally have much lower methane emissions than continuously flooded rice, but CRAM-specific emission reductions are unquantified.

Water use: Much less water used

Well suited to rainfed upland production, reducing reliance on irrigation, although specific water-use efficiency has not been demonstrated.

Biodiversity: Not verified

Disease resistance and higher productivity may reduce pressure on ecosystems and land expansion, but benefits depend on management.

Environmental health: Not verified

Disease resistance may reduce chemical use and reliable yields may reduce land-expansion pressure, depending on management.

Soil quality: Not yet estimated

CRAM does not directly improve soil fertility; soil health requires complementary fertility and residue-management practices.

Variety	Interspecific Name / Pedigree	Sowing-Maturity Cycle (Days)	Yield Potential (t/ha)	Milling Recovery (%)	Head Rice Yield (%)	1000-Grain Weight (g)	Plant Height (cm)	Amylose Content (%)	Aromatic
CRAM 1	ARICA 14	103	4.8	73%	56%	25.29	114	19%	No
CRAM 2	ARICA 15	102	5.0	72%	59%	26.09	115	19%	No
CRAM 3	ARCC3Fa3L10P1-1-B-1	104	4.9	75%	57%	27.07	121	19%	No
CRAM 4	ART15-16-12-3-1-B-1-B-3-1	101	4.6	66%	50%	25.00	121	19%	Yes
CRAM 6	ART35-49-1-7D-1	103	5.0	71%	65%	22.79	123	19%	Yes
CRAM 8	ART34-120-1-2-B-1	103	5.0	73%	62%	38.11	123	19%	Yes
CRAM 10	BRS PRIMAVERA / WAB638-1	102	4.0	72%	68%	37.00	112	19%	N/A
CRAM 12	ART35-272-1-2-B-1	102	5.0	72%	68%	37.78	119	18%	Yes

Scaling Readiness describes how complete a technology's development is and its ability to be scaled. It produces a score that measures a technology's readiness along two axes: the level of maturity of the idea itself, and the level to which the technology has been used so far.

Each axis goes from 0 to 9 where 9 is the “ready-to-scale” status. For each technology profile in the e-catalogs we have documented the scaling readiness status from evidence given by the technology providers. The e-catalogs only showcase technologies for which the scaling readiness score is at least 8 for maturity of the idea and 7 for the level of use.

The graph below represents visually the scaling readiness status for this technology, you can see the label of each level by hovering your mouse cursor on the number.

Scaling readiness score of this technology

Maturity of the idea 9 out of 9

Uncontrolled environment: validated

Level of use 8 out of 9

Used by some intended users, in the real world

Maturity of the idea										Level of use
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9

Positive impact 9

Intersectional group	Positive impacts
Low-income/resource-constrained farmers	Lower production risk: Drought and disease tolerance can help stabilise yields. Suitable for rainfed systems: Farmers do not need continuous irrigation to produce CRAM. Improved food and income: Yield potential of up to 5 t/ha can increase household rice availability and marketable surplus.
Farmers in climate-vulnerable areas	Better drought adaptation: Short duration reduces exposure to late-season dry spells. More reliable production: Disease resistance and good crop stability reduce key production risks. Sustainable intensification: Higher productivity can reduce pressure to expand cultivation into natural areas.
Women and youth in seed businesses	Business opportunity: Seed multiplication offers attractive commercial potential. Employment: Opportunities exist in seed production, processing, packaging and distribution. Market participation: Growing access to quality CRAM seed can create new roles in local seed value chains.

Unintended impact 9

Intersectional group	Potential unintended impacts	Mitigation measures
Low-income/resource-constrained farmers	Input pressure: Improved varieties may encourage greater fertiliser use, increasing production costs. Market dependency: Commercial seed may create recurring seed-purchase costs. Exclusion of the poorest: Farmers unable to purchase quality seed may benefit less.	Promote efficient input use: Combine CRAM with locally appropriate soil fertility practices. Strengthen local seed systems: Support affordable and reliable local seed multiplication. Use targeted support: Include vulnerable farmers in seed distribution and demonstration schemes.
Climate-vulnerable farmers	Production concentration: Over-reliance on CRAM could increase vulnerability if a variety is poorly matched to local conditions. Extreme climate events: Drought tolerance does not eliminate risk under severe climatic stress. Environmental pressure: Higher profitability could encourage expansion into marginal or natural areas.	Maintain varietal diversity: Promote several CRAM varieties and other locally adapted crops/varieties. Combine with climate-smart practices: Integrate soil, water and risk-management measures. Promote sustainable land-use planning: Prioritise intensification on suitable existing farmland.
Women and youth in seed businesses	Unequal access to business opportunities: Established businesses may capture most seed-market opportunities. Limited finance: Women and youth may struggle to finance multiplication and certification costs. Market barriers: Limited networks may restrict access to buyers and distribution channels.	Target inclusive business support: Facilitate access to finance, training and certification support. Use inclusive contracting: Encourage seed companies to work with women- and youth-led enterprises. Strengthen market linkages: Connect emerging businesses with cooperatives, agro-dealers and institutional buyers.

Barriers 9

Intersectional group	Adoption barriers	Mitigation measures
Low-income/resource-constrained farmers	Cost: Quality seed and complementary inputs may be unaffordable. Access to services: Limited access to credit, extension and technical support. Adoption risk: Uncertainty about local performance and market demand discourages investment.	Demonstration plots: Allow farmers to observe CRAM performance locally before adoption. Reduce entry costs: Support community-based seed multiplication and targeted starter seed packages. Improve access to finance and markets: Link farmers with savings groups, credit providers and buyers.
Climate-vulnerable farmers	Agroecological uncertainty: Farmers may be unsure which CRAM variety is best suited to their conditions. Climate information: Limited access to reliable weather and extension information. Climate shocks: Severe droughts or other extreme events can still threaten production.	Agroecological targeting: Match varieties to local rainfall, soils and production conditions. Strengthen climate information: Link farmers with seasonal forecasts and extension advice. Promote integrated resilience: Combine CRAM with soil fertility, water and crop-management practices.
Women and youth seed entrepreneurs	Investment costs: Foundation seed, certification and multiplication require upfront capital. Technical capacity: Limited knowledge of seed production and quality standards. Market access: Difficulty accessing established distribution and buyer networks.	Business and technical training: Build capacity in seed production, quality control and marketing. Facilitate finance: Link entrepreneurs to agricultural finance and business-development support. Build market partnerships: Connect them with certification authorities, agro-dealers, cooperatives and larger seed companies.

Cost of the investment Sum of all fixed and operational expenses..	USD 1,012 USD per hectare
Gross revenue Sum of all income before subtracting costs.	USD 1,320 USD per hectare
Net income Gross revenue minus total cost.	USD 308 USD per hectare
Return on investment Percentage of income earned for each dollar invested, calculated as: (income ÷ cost of investment) × 100	30 % per hectare

References:

CRAM Financial data.pdf (PDF, 590.23 KB)

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Côte d’Ivoire	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid	–	–	–	–
Semiarid	–	–	–	–
Subhumid	–	–
Humid	–	–

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 1: no poverty

Higher and more reliable yields, early maturity and stress tolerance can reduce production risks and strengthen smallholder incomes.

Goal 2: zero hunger

More reliable rice harvests, good yield potential and early maturity can improve household food security and local rice supply.

Goal 13: climate action

Drought tolerance and short duration strengthen farmers’ adaptation to erratic rainfall and climate stress.

1. Select the right variety:

Choose the variety according to local agroecological conditions and production objectives. CRAM 4, 2, 10 and 12 are among the earliest varieties, while CRAM 4, 6, 8 and 12 offer desirable aromatic qualities.

2. Choose the right field:

Plant CRAM in well-drained upland or sloping fields, preferably with sandy loam or loamy soils. Avoid excessively sandy or heavy, compacted clay soils that can limit crop performance.

3. Prepare the field:

Establish a clean, loose seedbed by clearing and ploughing the field. Deep-plough to 20–25 cm, followed by a second ploughing shortly before sowing.

4. Plant at the right time:

Sow directly at the onset of reliable rains to ensure good crop establishment. Use 40–60 kg of seed/ha, with 20 × 20 cm spacing and a sowing depth of 2–3 cm.

5. Fertilise and control weeds:

Apply 200 kg/ha of NPK during the second ploughing. Maintain good weed control, particularly during the critical first 30–40 days. Apply 100 kg/ha of urea in two doses at 21 days and 55–60 days after sowing, ensuring the field is weed-free before each application.

6. Monitor the crop:

Regular field monitoring is important to detect insects, rodents, and birds early. Pay particular attention from the milky stage through maturity, when grain losses can increase.

7. Harvest at maturity:

Harvest when approximately two-thirds of the panicle has turned straw-coloured or when grain moisture reaches 22–25%. Depending on the variety, maturity occurs around 101–104 days after sowing.

8. Dry and store correctly:

Clean and thresh the paddy carefully, then dry it to approximately 14% moisture. Store in clean bags in a dry, well-ventilated facility to maintain grain quality and prevent spoilage.

Downloads

CRAM Varieties Passport data.pdf (PDF, 870.66 KB)
Seed in storage.pdf (PDF, 1.32 MB)
05 Bulletins CNRA MAN.pdf (PDF, 1.88 MB)

Last updated on Sep 9, 2026

Africa Rice Center
Negussie Zenna

Commodities

Rice

Sustainable Development Goals Details ›

Subcategory

Disease resistance Insect resistance Yield improvement Drought tolerance

Value chain step

Production

Solution to

Low Productivity Pests & Diseases

Tested/adopted in Details ›

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Where it can be used Details ›

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones.

Target groups

Breeders Farmers Seed companies Researcher center Cooperatives and Agribusinesses