Farmers delighted as Romarey Seeds coy displays assorted seeds

The company also takes advantage of the meeting to do an exposition of new, improved seeds and practical demonstration of the quality and expected yield of crop.This year’s event featured a tour of the demonstration farms of the company by farmers and visiting stakeholders and the exhibition of new farming techniques and implements for the […]

The company also takes advantage of the meeting to do an exposition of new, improved seeds and practical demonstration of the quality and expected yield of crop.
This year’s event featured a tour of the demonstration farms of the company by farmers and visiting stakeholders and the exhibition of new farming techniques and implements for the farmers who danced throughout the event and sang several songs in appreciation to the good harvest recorded.
Though Romarey has mandate on the production, multiplication and distribution of rice, soya beans, Irish potatoes, yam, sorghum and maize improved seeds and seedlings, attention at the event was centred on rice which is the most popular crop being produced in the company’s catchment area.
Conducting the stakeholders round the 10 hectares Romarey rice demonstration farm near Shendam, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Romarey Venture, Mr. Nathaniel Yabwahat Longmut, said farmers engaged by the firm planted all the varieties of rice seen on the farm.
“The first one here is Faro 44, although it was planted a bit late and after the plantation water accumulated in the area; the little shortage experienced here had helped in maintaining the atmosphere and luckily, you can see the high yielding and good quality of rice.
“This other one is the one I mentioned to you earlier as upland rice variety, which is called Faro 59. It is a good variety and matures earlier, in just 90 days you can cultivate it. The one you are seeing here was planted after we had earlier planted the Faro 44 but you can see that this one matured before the Faro 44. If you observe, the land here is high and the other side is low. The one on the high and dry area is matured and gives high yield. That shows that it does not need much water, what this variety needs is normal water or rain that we need for maize and sorghum it will grow well.    
“This is a new variety that serves as a breakthrough for all farmers that do not have Fadama support. With this, you can now go in and plant in your upland farms, most especially where you can plant your maize and sorghum comfortably. It will do well and you can plant twice a year within the same season and you also plant it during irrigation if you have the facility to irrigate.
You can plant this rice three times in a year, and that is boom; no more hunger again unless you are lazy. If you are not lazy that shall be well for you,” he said.
Longmut urged farmers to discard the grains being sold in the markets in lieu of improved seeds as grains do not give good yield, adding, “don’t waste your money, always key in for the new improved quality seeds that can take us to the next level.”
He said his company has different types of quality rice seeds that produce the long, medium and short rice varieties including L19 which, he said, is known as Faro 60 that has high yield but matures in 120 days and has good milling quality. He described the variety as one of the best for farmers that are not well patronised due to inadequate publicity.
“The rice on this farm is from a seed called Faro 61 or L34 and they all come together with L19 and they were developed by the Africa Rice Centre. If you observe, the plant is not long like other seeds but is fantastic. This seed of rice spreads and booms more than L19; if you plant one seed it reproduces in many numbers in one place.
“This is long variety rice called Faro 57. In fact, some people are saying this seed is like a marriage of Faro 44 and 52. To be frank, this is a good variety. The seed produces long plant with high yield.  Because of its long heavy head when we experience high wind the plant lays down a bit but is hardly destroyed. What I want to assure you is that this seed produces good rice.      
“Faro 44 or Sipi is well known to farmers but with the advent of new varieties there is competition with L19 and L34. The seed has good quality at mill. But what we also advise farmer is to make good choice when buying seeds for their farm.
“This one here is Faro 52 which needs more water. It is a good variety that has a unique feature that needs water to boost and produce good rice. You can see that the head is so big. But if there is drought it will have problem. The major problem with this variety is pest. If the area becomes dry, it easily destroys the plant, but the seed is a good variety and good at mill. It takes up to 135 days to harvest,” he said.