Rice (Oryza sativa), is the world’s second most popular cereal after maize. It is an increasingly important crop in Nigeria. It is relatively easy to produce and is grown for sale and for home consumption. In some areas there is a long tradition of rice growing, but for many, rice has been considered a luxury food for special occasions only. With the increased availability of rice, it has become part of the everyday diet of many in Nigeria.

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Gigantic importation of the item from nations like India, China, Thailand and so forth, along these lines, happen to a great extent because of the way that the evaluated measure of rice processed locally is set at 1.8 million tons. On the normal, Nigeria burns through 1 billion Naira on rice importation every day (that is a tiresome 365 billion Naira yearly). Agriculturalists continue asking "why spend such an incredible measure of cash bringing in rice when Nigeria has the capability of sufficiently developing rice to bolster Her populace and produce surplus that can be sent out?". In spite of the fact that rice can be developed anyplace, that is, rice can develop in all the geological zones of Nigeria relying upon the assortment, the zone of land utilized for rice development is generally minute around 2 million hectares when review puts it that Nigeria has the possibilities of developing around 5 million hectares. The measure of cash put aside for rice importation, if diverted into the change of rice generation, for example, supporting both little scale and huge scale rice development and processing of rice developed in Nigeria to meet universal gauges like its opponents from different nations would empower Nigeria take care of its rice demand and possibly sending out rice to neighboring nations in a quite a while from now. To the normal Nigerian, it needs no presentation since it has turned out to be a standout amongst the most critical sustenances in the nation, devoured by both the affluent and poor people. This position was accomplished to a great extent by virtue of its unfaltering interest by the Nigerian people for both local and business utilization help neighborhood planting of rice in significant development territories like Sokoto, Ogun, Ebonyi, Enugu, Anambra, Niger, Kogi and other states in the Nigeria

SOME VARIETIES OF RICE GROWN IN NIGERIA

African rice (not Oryza sativa but a different species, known as Oryza glaberrima)
 Fadama rice
 Upland rice
Lowland rice
PROCESSES INVOLVED IN RICE PRODUCTION

There are numerous varieties of rice that can be  cultivated in Nigeria. The process involved in rice cultivation depends on the geographical and ecological factors available. The process involved also depends on the variety of rice.  Explained below are the processes involved in the cultivation of Lowland rice in Nigeria extracted from IITA’s growing lowland rice in Nigeria.


Rice Farmer working on his Rice Plantation
CHOICE OF LAND

Choose fertile land with a moderately high water holding-capacity. Heavy soils characteristic of river valleys and Fadamas are preferred. Lands with clayey soils are considered most desirable

LAND PREPARATION

Paddy fields can be prepared under either dry or wetland conditions; the choice depends on time of operation, soil properties and implements to be used. In either case, the field should be disc plowed immediately after harvest in November/December to expose the rhizomes of perennial weeds to scorching action of the sun. For direct seeded rice, the field is harrowed just before the first rain, and the crop is seeded. For wet or transplanted rice, the field is flooded with the first rains. In the absence of ploughs, make heaps at the onset of first rains for weed control. Construct bunds and cover the paddy field with water to prevent the loss of nitrogen through denitrification.

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TIME OF PLANTING

Plant in May/June when the rains are firmly established. Planting should be early (by the end of June) in flood-prone, waterlogged, and gall midge-attached areas. Seed rate Direct sowing needs 55–65 kg/ha grain; raising seedlings to transplanting needs 45 kg/ha grain. Planting

DIRECT SEEDING This is possible in hydromorphic areas by broadcasting or dibbling. Divide the field into plots of 50 m2 or 100 m2, and construct small bunds. Weeds are the major problem. Apply herbicides to control them. in dibbling, the spacing should be 20–25 cm between rows and 15–20 cm between plants. Direct seeding can be done with pregerminated seeds in wet soils.

NURSERY RAISING Soak the seeds in water for 24 hours. Spread them on the floor and incubate them by covering them with polyethylene bags for 48 hours for the seeds to sprout. To provide seedlings for 1 ha of land, raise the nursery in 500 m2 (1/20 acre). Spread the sprouted seeds uniformly on a puddled nursery field. Drain excess water from the field for a week. Ensure that seed beds are raised in high rainfall areas. Avoid bird damage during germination by scaring birds. In gall midge affected areas, apply FuradanTM (Carbofuran) at 1 kg/ha in nursery beds a week before uprooting.

TRANSPLANTING Transplant seedlings from nursery after 21 days. This is done by uprooting the seedlings. Transplant 2–3 seedlings per hill. Spacing should be 20 cm between rows and 15–20cm between plants. Transplant early maturing varieties 15 cm apart and transplant medium and late maturing varieties 20 cm apart.

 GAP FILLING: Gap fill the areas where seeds have not germinated 7–10 days after transplanting. Use remaining seedlings.

 WATER MANAGEMENT Maintain the level of water in the field up to 5cm one week after transplanting until grain matures. Drain the water a week before harvesting. Cracks should not be seen in the field. Fertilizer rate and time of application.

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TALL LODGING INDICA VARIETIES

FIRST APPLICATION: Apply broadcast, 200 kg (4 bags) of NPK 15:15:15 14 days after transplanting.

SECOND APPLICATION: Apply broadcast 100 kg/ha (12 bags) of urea at ear initiation.   IMPROVED NON-LODGING VARIETIES FIRST APPLICATION: Apply 200 kg/ha (4 bags) of NPK 15:15:15 thoroughly puddle in the soil before transplanting, followed by another 100kg (2 bags) of  Urea per hectare broadcast at 30 days after transplanting.

SECOND APPLICATION: Broadcast 100 kg/ha (2 bags) of Urea per hectare at ear initiation.   WEED CONTROL HAND WEEDING: Hand-weed twice at 21 and 40 days after transplanting. Collect all weeds from bunds, and decompose or bury them in one corner of the field to prevent insect attack.

CHEMICAL CONTROL; Drain water from the field. Spray herbicides such as TamariceTMPL, RonstarTMPL, or RisaneTMat 3 kg/ha (8 litres) 2–3 weeks after transplanting on a clear sunny day. After 2–3 days, irrigate the field. You may topdress with urea. Hand weed again around 40 days after planting. Diseases – Spray DithaneTMM-45 at 1kg or BenlateTMat 1.5 kg/ha in 500 liters of water to control brown spot, grain discoloration, and blast. Pests – STEM BORER: Watch the rice crop closely for dead hearts during early vegetative growth. In case of stem borer attack, spray Gammalin® 20 on leaves and plant bases thoroughly. Apply DecisTMat 1 liter a.i/ha in 500 litres of water to control rice bugs which suck the sap after flowering – Apply FuradanTM(Carbofuran) at 1 kg/ha or MiralTM(Isazofos) at 0.75 kg a.i/ha to control African rice gall midge 20–30 days after transplanting as symptoms are seen on the field.

BIRD CONTROL Birds are a problem during grain filling. Control them manually by scaring them. Harvesting Harvest long straw close to the ground 15–20 cm to permit hand threshing. Other operations are as for Upland rice.

 Expected Yield 5–6 t/ha paddy.

Drying Dry paddy properly to a safe moisture content of 13–14%, by spreading it on a clean concrete floor, mat or tarpaulin. Sundry slowly for 2–3 DAYS to reduce breakage during milling. On a clear bright day, sun dry for one day only by spreading paddy thinly on clean concrete floor, mat, or tarpaulin. Use a mechanical drier, if possible.

Storage Store in cool, dry rodent-proof conditions. Infested paddy should be fumigated with phostoxin in air-tight containers at the rate of one tablet/jute bag (100 kg paddy) or 10–15 tablets/t paddy.

Processing PARBOILING: Soak paddy in hot water at 70 degree century for 5–6 hours. Discard all floating empty grains. Parboil rice by steaming soaked paddy in a jute bag for 10–16 min by suspending the bag over steaming water in a drum. Stop parboiling when rice husks start to split open. Chalky grains or white centers indicate incomplete parboiling, which may cause grain to break during milling.

MILLING

 Mill rice in a two-stage milling machine. Always mill one pure variety at a time.

TIME OF PLANTING

Plant in May/June when the rains are firmly established. Planting should be early (by the end of June) in flood-prone, waterlogged, and gall midge-attached areas. Seed rate Direct sowing needs 55–65 kg/ha grain; raising seedlings to transplanting needs 45 kg/ha grain. Planting

DIRECT SEEDING

This is possible in hydromorphic areas by broadcasting or dibbling. Divide the field into plots of 50 m2 or 100 m2, and construct small bunds. Weeds are the major problem. Apply herbicides to control them. in dibbling, the spacing should be 20–25 cm between rows and 15–20 cm between plants. Direct seeding can be done with pregerminated seeds in wet soils.

NURSERY RAISING

Soak the seeds in water for 24 hours. Spread them on the floor and incubate them by covering them with polyethylene bags for 48 hours for the seeds to sprout. To provide seedlings for 1 ha of land, raise the nursery in 500 m2 (1/20 acre). Spread the sprouted seeds uniformly on a puddled nursery field. Drain excess water from the field for a week. Ensure that seed beds are raised in high rainfall areas. Avoid bird damage during germination by scaring birds. In gall midge affected areas, apply FuradanTM (Carbofuran) at 1 kg/ha in nursery beds a week before uprooting.

TRANSPLANTING

Transplant seedlings from nursery after 21 days. This is done by uprooting the seedlings. Transplant 2–3 seedlings per hill. Spacing should be 20 cm between rows and 15–20cm between plants. Transplant early maturing varieties 15 cm apart and transplant medium and late maturing varieties 20 cm apart.

GAP FILLING

 Gap fill the areas where seeds have not germinated 7–10 days after transplanting. Use remaining seedlings.



WATER MANAGEMENT

Maintain the level of water in the field up to 5cm one week after transplanting until grain matures. Drain the water a week before harvesting. Cracks should not be seen in the field. Fertilizer rate and time of application

TALL LODGING INDICA VARIETIES FIRST APPLICATION

 Apply broadcast, 200 kg (4 bags) of NPK 15:15:15 14 days after transplanting.

SECOND APPLICATION

 Apply broadcast 100 kg/ha (12 bags) of urea at ear initiation.

IMPROVED NON-LODGING VARIETIES

FIRST APPLICATION:

Apply 200 kg/ha (4 bags) of NPK 15:15:15 thoroughly puddle in the soil before transplanting, followed by another 100kg (2 bags) of  Urea per hectare broadcast at 30 days after transplanting.

SECOND APPLICATION

Broadcast 100 kg/ha (2 bags) of Urea per hectare at ear initiation.

WEED CONTROL HAND WEEDING: Hand-weed twice at 21 and 40 days after transplanting. Collect all weeds from bunds, and decompose or bury them in one corner of the field to prevent insect attack.

CHEMICAL CONTROL

Drain water from the field. Spray herbicides such as TamariceTMPL, RonstarTMPL, or RisaneTMat 3 kg/ha (8 litres) 2–3 weeks after transplanting on a clear sunny day. After 2–3 days, irrigate the field. You may topdress with urea. Hand weed again around 40 days after planting. Diseases – Spray DithaneTMM-45 at 1kg or BenlateTMat 1.5 kg/ha in 500 liters of water to control brown spot, grain discoloration, and blast. Pests – STEM BORER: Watch the rice crop closely for dead hearts during early vegetative growth. In case of stem borer attack, spray Gammalin® 20 on leaves and plant bases thoroughly. Apply DecisTMat 1 liter a.i/ha in 500 litres of water to control rice bugs which suck the sap after flowering – Apply FuradanTM(Carbofuran) at 1 kg/ha or MiralTM(Isazofos) at 0.75 kg a.i/ha to control African rice gall midge 20–30 days after transplanting as symptoms are seen on the field.

BIRD CONTROL

Birds are a problem during grain filling. Control them manually by scaring them. Harvesting Harvest long straw close to the ground 15–20 cm to permit hand threshing. Other operations are as for Upland rice.  

Expected Yield 5–6 t/ha paddy.


POST-HARVESTING

DRYING

Dry paddy properly to a safe moisture content of 13–14%, by spreading it on a clean concrete floor, mat or tarpaulin. Sundry slowly for 2–3 DAYS to reduce breakage during milling. On a clear bright day, sun dry for one day only by spreading paddy thinly on clean concrete floor, mat, or tarpaulin. Use a mechanical drier, if possible.

STORAGE

Store in cool, dry rodent-proof conditions. Infested paddy should be fumigated with phostoxin in air-tight containers at the rate of one tablet/jute bag (100 kg paddy) or 10–15 tablets/t paddy.

PROCESSING

PARBOILING: Soak paddy in hot water at 70 degree century for 5–6 hours. Discard all floating empty grains. Parboil rice by steaming soaked paddy in a jute bag for 10–16 min by suspending the bag over steaming water in a drum. Stop parboiling when rice husks start to split open. Chalky grains or white centers indicate incomplete parboiling, which may cause grain to break during milling.

MILLING: Mill rice in a two-stage milling machine. Always mill one pure variety at a time.

Contact Agroensured Today to start a Rice farm. agroensured.ng/contact-us or at info@agroensured.ng

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cc lalasticlala

Please do you know of any market or company I can see my paddy rice(short grain)?

Uyi2017:
Please do you know of any market or company I can see my paddy rice(short grain)?

Depends on your location and the variety you need. It wouldn't be any difficult if you're in the north central region, it's flooded with paddy.

Pls am interested in rice farming, am based in the south east,I need a professional in rice farming for guidance on some questions abt it. 0is my number

please forward a mail to info@agroensured.ng and we give you futher assistance or reach us on whatsapp @08162977432

please forward a mail to info@agroensured.ng or add us on whatsapp for further asistance

I am in kogi state.plesase if anybody knows somebody that buys paddy, mine is up for sale

If you need supply of local paddy rice contact me on WhatsApp 08140076142, we source the rice directly from local farmers directly in Niger state.
Contact me on WhatsApp 08140076142.

Thanks for the info,pls can one visit your farm to gain practical experience?