Breeders have two non-exclusive strategic investment options for increasing smallholder farmers’ and consumers’ livelihoods through genetic improvement of crop varieties: (i) enhancing productivity; and (ii) enhancing value and market access. New Rice for Africa (NERICA) varieties with superior agronomic characteristics were bred and introduced in various African countries in the early 2000s. Two decades later, drought tolerant NERICA4 is among the popular upland rice varieties grown across Africa. We analyze market evidence for NERICA4 from Uganda in 2011, i.e. well before it massively reached urban markets, where it is currently commingled with standard rice. We then compare the breeding priorities that would have ensued from the 2011 market evidence with the reality a decade later. Non-hypothetical auction experiments with consumers were conducted in urban Uganda in 2011 to predict potential market share and value of non-fragrant NERICA4 and fragrant NERICA1, relative to two market standards, i.e. non-fragrant Kaiso, and Supa, the most popular fragrant rice variety in the region. Average consumer bids positioned the two NERICAs between both market standards. Whereas NERICA1 easily outcompeted NERICA4 and Kaiso in the non-fragrant rice category, it failed to compete with Supa in the fragrant category. The 2011 market evidence would have suggested breeders prioritize investment in breeding programs for fragrant NERICAs to help smallholders gain access to high-value markets and expand consumers’ choice with cheaper fragrant rice alternatives. However, the popularity of NERICA4 relative to NERICA1 in farmers’ fields seems to suggest that agronomic genetic gains may have outweighed market traits such as fragrance.

中文翻译：

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面对市场的遗传收益：来自乌干达非洲新稻米 (NERICA) 的回顾性教训

育种者有两种非排他性的战略投资选择，通过作物品种的遗传改良来增加小农和消费者的生计：(i) 提高生产力；(ii) 提高价值和市场准入。2000 年代初，非洲各国培育并引进了具有优良农艺特性的新稻米品种。二十年后，耐旱的 NERICA4 成为非洲广受欢迎的旱稻品种之一。我们分析了 2011 年来自乌干达的 NERICA4 的市场证据，即远在它大规模进入城市市场之前，目前它与标准大米混合。然后，我们将从 2011 年市场证据中得出的育种重点与十年后的现实进行比较。2011 年在乌干达城市对消费者进行了非假设拍卖实验，以预测非香型 NERICA4 和香型 NERICA1 的潜在市场份额和价值，相对于两种市场标准，即非香型 Kaiso 和最受欢迎的香米 Supa该地区的多样性。平均消费者投标将两个 NERICA 定位在两个市场标准之间。NERICA1在非香米类别中轻松击败NERICA4和Kaiso，但在香米类别中未能与Supa竞争。2011 年的市场证据表明，育种者优先投资于香米的育种计划，以帮助小农进入高价值市场，并通过更便宜的香米替代品扩大消费者的选择。然而，