Inside Jigawa rice farms …how new approach boosts production
If you visit rice project farms in Jigawa State and take statistics of the total number of hectares under cultivation and the average yield per hectare, the result may place the state above current production level in the nation’s ranking of rice producing states.
Located in the northwest, about 138 kilometres from from the commercial city of Kano, Jigawa, is a top producer of rice and wheatmuch more than most people think.
With 411,000 hectares already earmarked for the 2017 rain-fed season, using clustered and group methodology under the state government’s Rice Special Programme, the quanta of production for the two grains, which take the bulk of the nation’s food import bill, will change.
Also, strategic for rice production in the state is the Hadejia-Jama’are River Basin Authority that has over 24,300 hectares (about 60,000 acres)-a Federal Government irrigation project, which stretches 35 kilometres long and eight kilometres wide, is home to thousands of rice and wheat farmers.
The Hadejia-Jama‘are River Basin Development Authority stretches across areas in Jigawa, Kano and Bauchi states, with a total potential irrigation area of 250,000 hectares (617, 763.454 acres).
Apart from this huge potential, the state government has initiated a number of rice and wheat production projects to scale up the quantum of production using different approaches.
In Kawari, Ringim Local Government Area, a 210 hectare of dry season rice farm established by the state government is approaching harvest season.
Bukar Husseini is a 60-yearold rice farmer in one of the projects initiated by the state government covering 210 hectares in the ongoing dry season scheme. For the father of 15 children and husband to two women, life has changed.
In a chat with Daily Trust, at his farm, he said: “Before now, I did rice cultivation on small scale because of my inability to afford farm inputs. But with the state government’s programme of massive rice production, I was given six bags of fertiliser-four NPK, two urea and Faro 44 seeds. You can see the rice yourself. I’m so happy.”
Like Husseni, Dahiru Bala could not hide his feelings for the expected harvest. For him, the fasting period, which will precede the period of harvest is a blessed moment. The 32-year-old father of four said he would like to reap up to 12 metric tonnes from his two hectares.
Although the inputs are not given to them free, most of the farmers expressed willingness to pay back as soon as harvest is done. The state government’s loan is without interest.
Abubakar Garba Idris, a young rice farmer expressed gratitude to the state government for the intervention. He said he got water pumping machines, six bags of fertiliser and seeds.
But he said the challenge is in the area of fuelling the pumping machines because of the cost of fuel: something he wants the state government to look into.
He wants the state government to look into the issue of access road to the project site.
Auwalu Isa Kila is the acting Director, Technical services, Rice Special Programme, Jigawa Agriculture and Rural Development Services. He said the site has 190 farmers
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Date of planting and