Hope rises for small-scale rice farmers, processors

Rice farmers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been introduced to Japanese compact rice processing technology, specifically for smallholder farmers and processors.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO), Asia, in collaboration with the Mirai Denchi Nigeria Limited, InoInc, Japan and Kanryu Industries Co Ltd, Japan, took the farmers through rice value chain and how to use the technology.

The rice modular de-husking, de-hulling, de-stoning and polishing machines are multipurpose Japanese technologies built specifically for smallholder farmers to process high quality rice.

Professor Emenike C.A Ejiogu, the president of the NIDO, the umbrella organisation of Nigerians in the whole of Asia, explained the necessity of the project. He said Nigerians in the Diaspora were partners to the Federal Government, which is trying to bring in various technologies and investments that would support the programmes and policies of government.

He said the main aim of the organisation was to source technology, investment, funding, operations and exchanges between host countries in Asia and Nigeria.

He added that one of the cardinal projects Nigerians in the Diaspora had taken up was agriculture.

Professor Ejiogu, who is an engineer, said the project was to introduce technology that could help Nigeria in rice selfsufficiency.

He revealed that they had interacted with a company to develop a compact rice milling machine so that local rice producers could benefit from the processing technology.

“We are able to get them to modify their machines to fit our environment, such that smallholder farmers can form clusters or cooperatives to be able to process rice so that the age of foreign rice will be gone forever,” he said.

Although he did not say how much the compact machine would cost the farmers, he said it would be very affordable.