Wet Season Farming: RIFAN to cultivate over 2, 000 hectares of land in Bayelsa
Season
By Christian Ogbonna
Yenagoa, Aug. 2, 2018 (NAN) The Bayelsa chapter of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) on Thursday said it would cultivate over 2, 000 hectares of land in the state for the wet season farming.
Mr Ezekiel Ogbianko, Bayelsa Chairman of RIFAN, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa that farmers in the state were working round the clock to make rice available for the people.
NAN reports that a 50 kg bag of foreign rice of any type is sold between N19, 000 and N21, 000, local rice between N16, 000 and N18,000, while a 25 kg bag of foreign rice such as Caprice, Mama Gold, among others is sold at N10, 000 respectively.
Ogbianko said the exorbitant price of rice was worrisome not only to the association but all Nigerians and stated the need for improved rice production.
He said the land acquired for the wet season farming are located at Eberebiri, Otuokpoti, Onoebie and Asangbene in Ogbia and Yenagoa Local Government Areas of Bayelsa, noting that clearing and preparation had begun for cultivation.
The chairman thanked the Federal Government for being supportive of farmers not only in Bayelsa but in other states too, saying that the Anchor Borrower Programme was yielding remarkable result.
The chairman said the association was expecting bountiful harvest with the wet season farming.
According to Ogbianko, for the wet season, we are expecting over 20, 000 bags of paddy rice before processing and bagging.
“In the dry season that we are waiting to harvest; we planted on 1, 500 hectares of land and we are expecting good harvest for the year; we are going to harvest over 20, 000 bags of paddy rice.
“Our challenge here is that we do not have milling machine for processing; what we normally do is to give our products to the private millers who process for us.
“We want the Federal and state government to help us to provide milling machines to encourage our members to ensure that we achieve sufficient food for the people.
“The government is trying in the area of input, at least we have been getting fertilizer, seedlings, herbicide among others; in addition, I must give kudos to the Federal Government on the Anchor Borrower,” the chairman stated. (NAN)
OOC/IFY
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Edited by Ify Omowole