Soil moisture stress is an important yield-limiting factor for rainfed rice in sub-Saharan Africa and efficient methods for capturing and retaining more moisture in the soil is needed. Sowing crops in the furrows of a ridge-furrow system allows efficient utilization of rainfall and improves crop production in regions with low rainfall. We examined the effects of furrow sowing on soil moisture content and yield of upland rice under rainfed conditions on 6 farmers’ fields in Central Benin, West Africa. In comparison to conventional flat sowing, furrow sowing resulted in 1.6% higher soil moisture and 11% higher yield (t ha-1), in average. The yield increase was attributed to 3% higher number of hills, 2% higher 1000-grain weight and 6% higher filled grain percentage. As the increase of these yield components corresponded with significant increases in soil moisture content during their respective growth periods, it was suggested that rice yields can be improved by increasing soil moisture content, and that furrow sowing can improve soil moisture content on most upland fields under rainfed conditions. We discussed the differences in soil moisture and field characteristics between the fields.