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Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers - Agriculture - Nairaland

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Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by gwales: 9:33am On Aug 18, 2016
A major turnaround in the cultivation of rice is occuring in Kebbi State

Given the bountiful harvest that is being recorded by farmers during this year’s dry season rice farming, Kebbi State has become a new haven to conventional, local millers and rice traders from Sokoto, Kano, Zamfara, EbonyI, Lagos, Maiduguri, Niger and other parts of the country. Also it has continued to witness the influx of rice buyers from Niger Republic, Benin and other neighbouring countries.

Because of this the price of paddy rice has jumped up. Farmers now charge between N10,000 to N12,000 for a bag of paddy rice in the state. Under the Anchor Borrowers arrangement, government is expected to buy a bag of paddy rice from the registered farmers at the rate of N113,000 per ton. However, they are now selling to the third buyers at the rate of N10,000 to N12,000 per bag.

When our correspondent visited some rice farms around Birnin Kebbi, Augie, Bunza, Argungu and Yauri areas of the state, some of the farmers who spoke to us could not hold their excitement while narrating their success story. Alhaji Sahadi Augie is the Chairman of the Rice Farmers Association in the state. In words laden with excitement, he said “Do you know that from April to this time millers and other rice traders from Sokoto, Kano, Zamfara, Ebony, Lagos, Maiduguri, Niger and others have been coming in trucks and trailers to buy rice here. The good thing is that our farmers are still on the field planting rice, so the harvest will continue till October this year. Given this unprecedented success recorded in this year’s harvest across the state, Kebbi would not only meet the rice needs of the country, but within a short time that of West Africa.”
He added “We are lucky the weather was favourable, the input that was given to the farmers was effective , and it has assisted greatly in raising the yield during this year’s harvest. I must say that the harvest was very good for us. It has never been like this before. I am very optimistic that we will surpass the 1 million metric tons target very soon. This is because this year we harvested rice in Kebbi in the way we have never harvested it before. It was really a bumper harvest. You realize that under the Anchor Borrowers programme 70,000 farmers were engaged to produce rice in the state. Each of them was given the required inputs to cultivate one hectare of rice farm. Under the scheme there was a programme carved out for rice millers like Labana and Humza from Kano, to engage an additional eight thousand farmers, so in all 78,000 farmers were engaged at small scale level to produce rice for the state. These are not the only rice farmers that we have. Kebbi has over 300,000 rice farmers, even though they are not captured under this programme, they are also producing rice on their own.”

The federal government has invested N15 billion on this year’s rice/wheat farming in Kebbi State. Apart from the 78,000 small-scale rice producers in the state, there are other 1,700 large scale ones that were not captured under the rice production programme.
Speaking in the same vein a rice farmer in Argungu, Muhammed Abdullahi said the huge harvest being recorded by the farmers was expected. “More than before, everybody is now involved in rice farming. Don’t forget the entire River Niger valley area in Kebbi North is 11,600 kilometer square of irrigable land. It was estimated to be about 120,000 hectares of irrigable land along the river Niger valley ,and Kebbi has over 500,000 hectares of Fadama land. We have over 250 members of the water user’s association who are entirely farmers along the flood plain area. The Anchor Borrowers scheme has really improved our rice farming, and it might not be long before we start feeding the other West African countries.”

Augie explained that the initial agreement between government and farmers was that once they are given the loan, fertilizer, generator and pumping machines, they are to pay back by selling rice to government. “However, the influx of buyers, local and conventional millers from all over the country, in large numbers and buying in large quantities, has brought about high increase in the price of paddy rice. With this development, farmers felt they would be shortchanged should they sell to government at the initially agreed price. This made us to change our agreement. Now farmers have the option of either paying back to government in cash or by paddy rice. This is to safeguard them from being shortchanged and as well defaulted.

Under the Anchor Borrowers arrangement government is buying from farmers at the rate of N113,000 per ton, but farmers could sell to the third buyers at the rate of N9,000 to N10,000 per bag. We cannot give the exact number of tons of rice that we have produced now because harvesting is still going one,but between 1.1 to 1.2 million tons is our possible target.”

He continued “I can hardly find a word to commend facilitators of this rice programme. For several years before now we had been importing rice into this country at the rate of one billion naira per day, whereas we could produce it within the states. We were making farmers of other countries to make money while we are poor. Before now there were moves to do something like this, but the policies were inconsistent.But this time we are lucky both the president and our governor are determined to address the issue.We will also go all out to make sure this programme on rice production succeeds. We can’t quantify the kind of economic advantage it has brought to many farmers and rice traders in the state.”

Alhaji Muhammed Garba Dandiga is the Commissioner for Agriculture and Chairman of the Committee on Agricultural Programme in the state. He said “Suru area alone is about 40 kilometres in spread. Some farmlands there are over 15,000 hectares. We have locations like that in more than 10 places where we are doing irrigation farming. This has greatly boosted this year’s rice harvest in the state. It is not our effort but it is that of God and those of the federal government and Central Bank of Nigeria who gave us the opportunity. If we reach our climax, we will not only feed Nigeria but the entire West Africa.”

While telling her story, Hajiya Hadiza Abdullahi, one of the women farmers in the Argungu area said “This is my tenth year in rice farming. Before my husband died we were doing this together, I was helping him in the farm, but now the responsibility is mine. Rice farming is now much better than it was in the past. I was able to achieve a lot in this year’s harvest. The incentives given to me have helped to increase my yield and production capacity. I farm on 5 hectares of land and with this harvest I am expecting over 600 bags of rice.
When I was to start, government gave me a generator, fertilizer, pumping machines, faro 44 seeds and money. You can see I am getting old, I am being assisted on the farm by my three children but it has been good. It is a bumper harvest for me this year.”

Her farmer friend, Halimatu Muhammed said “I started rice farming about 14 years ago. The farming method has changed now, compared to how we used to do it in the past. What we are witnessing in rice farming now in Kebbi has never happened before. During this year’s dry season farming I harvested over 200 bags of rice. If I get more money I could produce more than 1,000 bags of rice.”

Bashiru Hassan is one of the farmers excited by the bumper harvest. “I just finished harvesting my rice. I am so happy over the yield and I have started preparing for another planting season. The rice I just harvested was on three hectares of land. I am expected to get over 100 bags of rice from it, but I got 60 bags due to the problems I encountered on the varieties of seeds that I planted. Some did well while some did not. But I thank the Almighty it was a good yield after all. I think the little problem I had was because of my inexperience in rice farming. This was my first time of planting rice even though I started farming in 1982. I was planting groundnut, maize and millet before I ventured into rice farming, but I have learnt well now. The next farming season would be different. I planned to give Labana Mills 30 bags, government 20 bags and I will sell the remaining 10 bags to private buyers. I was told the price is now between N9,000 to N10,000.This price may soon go up because there are many buyers and millers from other states and neighbouring countries, and many of them are presently in Kebbi. We really thank government for closing the border to rice importation. It will help to boost rice production and everybody will be happy.”

Hajiya Hauwa Usman is one of the women rice farmers at Harasawa rice farm area in Birnin Kebbi “This is my first time of venturing into rice farming. I was into Cassava farming. When I was growing up I used to follow my parents to the farm, because that was what they were doing. So when I got married I still feel the urge to farm. When my son decided he wanted to go into rice farming I decided to back him. We were given this farm land to grow rice, and today we are happy. We thank God for making the harvest a success. As you can see we are still harvesting but it is with joy. If we can get another land we would love to do more than this, though we had problem with the seeds we were given initially. While some take four months, others take six months to harvest. I planted on one hectare of land and we are expecting nothing less than 15 to 20 bags of rice in this harvest. I would love to do rice farming again, but my fear now is that the person who leased this land to me might also want to use it for farming, because everybody is now going into rice farming.”

Another rice farmer, Bashir Muhammed Nasarawa said “This harvest means a lot of things to me. I ventured into rice farming this year. I did the registration to participate in the Anchor Borrowers programme in 2015 through the Bank of Agriculture. With this harvest I realize I can no longer rely on anybody again. I can rely on myself doing the rice farming. I am more than happy doing it. After this harvest I will continue rice planting immediately. I am expecting over 25 bags of rice in this harvest. I now have the experience .I believe I will do a lot better in the next farming season. I just hope to get a bigger land, at least about five hectares to plant rice.”

www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/feature/rice-harvest-kebbi-now-haven-to-millers-buyers/158968.html?platform=hootsuite

9 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by AlPeter: 9:38am On Aug 18, 2016
The problem is how can I get to buy this rice in Ibadan.

14 Likes 3 Shares

Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by Pavore9: 10:19am On Aug 18, 2016
Yet to acknowledge any state that rivals Kebbi State in rice production, kudos to the farmers!

Thinking of what is being done with the tonnes of the rice husks being generated.

30 Likes 1 Share

Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by alakara(m): 10:49am On Aug 18, 2016
Pavore9:
Yet to acknowledge any state that rivals Kebbi State in rice production, kudos to the farmers!

Thinking of what is being done with the tonnes of the rice husks being generated.

Kudos o Buhari on this.
the by product of the rice can be use for so many things in livestock production.

35 Likes 1 Share

Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by Pavore9: 11:13am On Aug 18, 2016
alakara:


Kudos o Buhari on this.
the by product of the rice can be use for so many things in livestock production.

It is also used in generating electricity for those in rice producing communities likewise making organic fertilizers just as making fertilizers from it is what made Kenya's Samuel Rigu, who runs Safi Organics to win the Total Startupper Of The Year award, collecting $25,000 for his win. Safi organics has previously won other awards including the 2015 Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Program.

12 Likes 1 Share

Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by Laird(m): 12:31pm On Aug 18, 2016
Good for one naijaria but why was Ebonyi state a rice belt too.....not given Economic stimulus of 15 billion too and equipments and input too

So what is good for one northern state is not good for others,,,,

So it is clear........BIGOT DEVELOPMENT

9 Likes 1 Share

Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by veekid(m): 12:31pm On Aug 18, 2016
shocked Buhari don dey work now for him mind abi?
Economic diversification true true
Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by RobinRay(m): 12:32pm On Aug 18, 2016
k

1 Like

Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by dionpholly(m): 12:33pm On Aug 18, 2016
Insha allahu
Nigeria will soon get to the promise land

Ope front page tinz

30 Likes

Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by Timoleon(m): 12:34pm On Aug 18, 2016
good development from kebbi...other states wit similar weather and soil conditions should learn from this.

2 Likes

Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by Spells(m): 12:35pm On Aug 18, 2016
Nice one.... As e dey hot
Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by NameChecker: 12:35pm On Aug 18, 2016
Every states have been producing Rice lately,
I am yet to see these locally made rice in the market except online.

Una dey export am? angry

20 Likes 1 Share

Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by fibe: 12:35pm On Aug 18, 2016
just watching..

still watching.... Nigeria
Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by harshemeyou: 12:35pm On Aug 18, 2016
OUR NIAJA MADE RICE GO SWEET I BET IT
LET embrace the truth that we are giant not ant of African we can do better if we have faith and believe our self and I can see a brighter future in Nigeria
we should not be criticize everything we are doing in Nigeria because we are the best we can not carry last

6 Likes 1 Share

Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by rita25(f): 12:38pm On Aug 18, 2016
KEBBI-BERNIN KEBBI......................UNA JUST DEY SHINE SINCE RICE ADD PRICE OH!!!!!!!!!!!!! STATE WEY BEEN NO GET VALUE DON TURN RICE REPUBLIC SHA. wink

3 Likes

Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by chi4ik4(m): 12:38pm On Aug 18, 2016
story for the gods! I just bought a mudu of rice #600 this morning and you are blabbing rubbish here

2 Likes

Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by nnokwa042(m): 12:41pm On Aug 18, 2016
harshemeyou:
OUR NIAJA MADE RICE GO SWEET I BET IT
LET embrace the truth that we are giant not ant of African we can do better if we have faith and believe our self and I can see a brighter future in Nigeria
we should not be criticize everything we are doing in Nigeria because we are the best we can not carry last
u people did not say so when gej was in power then was lets kill him

6 Likes

Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by Moreoffaith(m): 12:42pm On Aug 18, 2016
...........................ok
Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by Bgorgeous: 12:42pm On Aug 18, 2016
The way to go
Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by Businessideas: 12:42pm On Aug 18, 2016
Laird:
Good for one naijaria but why was Ebonyi state a rice belt too.....not given Economic stimulus of 15 billion too and equipments and input too

So what is good for one northern state is not good for others,,,,

So it is clear........BIGOT DEVELOPMENT

Always playing the tribal victim because all you have been trained to do to get anything is play the victim card. The moment you forgot to include Ofada, Ogun State (Ofada rice is even more popular than ebonyi rice yet Ogun indigenes and the Yoruba will not play victim card ) in your lamentation I know that you are an igbo bigot .If not that I respect,admire and love all my igbo friends offline,I would have since joined in the igbo bashing because guys like you keep embarrassing and disgracing the igbo race. angry
One reading your post would even think you mainstream igbos respect and love the ebonyi igbo. It is a big fat lie!! Do you even think we don't know how you other igbos look down on the Ebonyi igboman and treat them like second rate igbos ?

57 Likes 1 Share

Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by Nobody: 12:45pm On Aug 18, 2016
People that will see the negative will see the negative. Good job to the people of Kebbi and the FG.

5 Likes

Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by seguno2: 12:46pm On Aug 18, 2016
Jonathan's agricultural policy is like a perennial fruit tree that gives and keeps giving.
Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by googlepikins: 12:46pm On Aug 18, 2016
Meanwhile some zombies said GEJ didn't do anything

2 Likes

Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by Nobody: 12:48pm On Aug 18, 2016
Businessideas:


Always playing the tribal victim because all you have been trained to do to get anything is play the victim card. The moment you forgot to include Ofada, Ogun State (Ofada rice is even more popular than ebonyi rice yet Ogun indigenes and the Yoruba will not play victim card ) in your lamentation I know that you are an igbo bigot
Afonajas always hating when people say the truth about the bigotry of their slave masters

4 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by Nobody: 12:49pm On Aug 18, 2016
I am sure the northerners, unlike some people, wouldn't put the their governor's picture on the rice sack.

4 Likes

Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by stagger: 12:49pm On Aug 18, 2016
alakara:


Kudos o Buhari on this.
the by product of the rice can be use for so many things in livestock production.

Wetin you dey yarn? The rice paddies where the brainchild of the GEJ admin under the Adeshina-led Agricultural Transformation Program. What has Audu Ogbeh and his boss the man on top done about agriculture since they took office in 2015?

6 Likes 1 Share

Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by lat78: 12:53pm On Aug 18, 2016
govt should facilitate d distribution, cos rice still cost for here o

1 Like

Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by dunkem21(m): 12:55pm On Aug 18, 2016
Kudos to Kebbi cool

1 Like 1 Share

Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by Nobody: 12:56pm On Aug 18, 2016
D path to glory is never easy

We will get there soonest


All we need to do is commend d govt on programme like this


And grill them when stupidity start taking over them

#naijapride#

1 Like 1 Share

Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by Clinton594(m): 12:56pm On Aug 18, 2016
chi4ik4:
story for the gods! I just bought a mudu of rice #600 this morning and you are blabbing rubbish here

Lol are you in Niger state

3 Likes

Re: Rice Harvest: Kebbi Now Haven To Millers, Buyers by Guyman02: 12:56pm On Aug 18, 2016
Pavore9:
Yet to acknowledge any state that rivals Kebbi State in rice production, kudos to the farmers!

Thinking of what is being done with the tonnes of the rice husks being generated.

The husks can be used as fuel for small turbines that will power the mills and also serve as feed stock for cattle, goats and sheep and also it can be used for organic manure that will help eliminate dependence on NPK and its attendant environment consequences. I hope the govt will think towards that line. Kudos to Kebbi.

With Lagos acquiring land for rice production in SW and Anambra and Ebonyi also doing well in rice production we expect Nigeria to be self sufficient in in rice farming soon.
In India briquettes for charcoal stoves are made from rice husks instead of charcoal from cutting down trees and thats one area private sector can explore

5 Likes 1 Share

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