In the villages, the mobility of women and their access to markets is very limited" because social norms encourage women to stay close to home (Interview 17, 2018). Evidence supports the view that urban consumers in Africa are willing to patronise domestic rice markets depending on improved quality including product marketing and packaging (Demont and Ndour, 2014). Whereas the 1990s saw the public sector disengage from rice-growing sectors, the region is now witnessing a massive return of state-intervention to all stages of the value chain.