Self-sufficiency by 2017: Farmers, experts speak
Examines why there are so many talks about domestic rice production by politicians and the factors which might halt the nation’s journey to self-sufficiency in 2017.
Daily Trust on Sunday very good for us. It has never been like this before. I am very optimistic that we will surpass the 1 million metric tones target very soon. This is because this year we harvested rice in Kebbi in the way we have never harvested it before,” he said.
Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi last week assured the Federal Government of his commitment to achieving the one million tonnes of rice targeted by the end of 2016.
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, during a recent assessment tour of Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, said that Kebbi and Niger states may generate two million metric tonnes of rice at the end of the season and reduce level of rice importation.
Emefiele who visited the Zone A rice plantation of Baddegi, Bida local council of Niger State, said the Anchor Borrowers Programme (APB) of the bank, will soon help Nigeria to achieve rice self-sufficiency, adding that other states working under the ABP to take Nigeria’s rice production in excess three million metric tonnes by 2017. …in Kano too The Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, during the launch of this year’s rice harvest programme at Samawa and Kadawa in Garun Mallam, said farmers in the state are expected to produce an estimated 1.2 million tonnes of rice this year as harvest has begun.
He targets 2 million metric tonnes of paddy rice in 2017 with more commitment from farmers and the administration’s support. Issues affecting farmers For Ibrahim Jatua, a rice farmer, access to fertiliser remains a huge challenge. “My farm is weak” he said, “you can hardly reap anything significant if you do not apply fertiliser but the cost this year was something many of us could not handle, so I couldn’t do much.”
But Audu Danjuma. who gets between 19 to 25 bags annually, has little challenge with fertiliser as his farm is still fertile. His problem is how to get good seeds and deal with weeds.
“The seed I used last year did not do much. The rice grew so tall but could produce much seeds. I’m yet to harvest my rice-maybe it will do better,” Danjuma said.
Besides seed and fertiliser, he wants government to end the conflict between herdsmen and farmers because it is taking toll on farming activities.
Audu stated that his uncle could not cultivate rice this year because of the experience he had last year when the crisis broke out in one of the villages where he cultivated rice. “Fear couldn’t let him,” he said.
Mr. Atho also wants government to intervene in bank lending issues, stressing that most commercial banks in the country don’t want to fund agriculture and when they do, the interest rates are killing. He opines that if banks can fund the sector at a single digit interest rates, many will scale up production leading to food security.