Taraba rice farmers record bumper harvest

Rice farmers in Taraba State have witnessed bumper harvest even as the price of paddy is much lower than that of last year. Findings revealed that last year, rice farmers in the state recorded poor harvest as a result of sudden cessation of rainfall.

Similarly, last year’s flood which affected many parts of the state destroyed hundreds of rice farms, especially those located close to rivers and streams, leading to huge loses.

However, farmers across the state are recording bumper harvest and farmers attributed their success to uninterrupted rainfall which lasted to this moment.

A farmer, Engineer Yahaya Mafindi, said unlike last year when farmers experienced double tragedy of early cessation of rainfall and flood which destroyed their rice farms, the story is different this year as they are recording bumper harvest.

He said “Last year, there were farmers in Karim Lamido, Lau, Ardo Kola and Gassol local government areas who lost millions of naira of their investment in rice farms.”

Yahaya Mafindi, who is also an official of Rice farmers Association in Taraba State, said rice farmers are set to recover the loses they incurred last year from this year’s harvest.

“You see, a farm where 100 bags of paddy rice were harvested from in previous years is producing about 140 bags this year,” he said

Another rice farmer, Garba Adamu, said farmers were excited over the bumper harvest they are recording currently.

Garba Adamu, however, said the only problem is the low price because a bag of paddy rice was sold at the rate of N35,000 last year, but this year it is N22,000.