Mr Aliu Tony, the chairman, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, Edo State chapter, explained the procedure a new entrant in rice could follow to have a good yield.
According to him, rice farming is profitable if one follows the right procedural approach and steps.
He said rice was one of the crops you would not just venture into without understanding it because not knowing the intricacies involved in it often leads to failure.
“The first step is to get a land, either through family or anybody to lease for you. After that, you clear the land and prepare it for cultivation.
He said understanding land texture for planting was crucial in rice production as it is not all lands that you can plant the crop and expect a good yield.
“The soils that are good for rice farming are clay and loamy; outside these, you can’t get better yield,” he explained.
He said that after preparing the land, you need to get good seedlings for planting.
“There are varieties of seed for different locations, such as upland and lowland. If you fail to get the right ones, the rice will not do well.
“For a good yield, you have to know how to space your seeds while planting. One and a half feet is good, depending on the fertility of the land or the rice variety,” he added.
According to him, after planting and the rice germinates, the next crucial aspect is the application of herbicides, which can either make or mar production.
“This is very crucial because any mistake from this section can cause you a bad harvest or even losses.
“There are different types of herbicides for different application periods. There are pre-emergence and post-emergence herbicides. And applying the right chemical at the right period determines the yield,” he also said.
Access to loan, grant or inputs for rice farmers
He alleged that rice farmers were not carried along by the immediate past administration when it came to access to loan and grant, as well as other incentives for farmers.
“We were not given incentives and access to loan. Farmers found it difficult to access loans in other financial institutions because of the stringent measurers,” he further said.
He said that towards the end of his administration, former Governor Godwin Obaseki tried to put up funds to be accessed by farmers, but the criteria were for the rich.
He explained, “The criterion for accessing the fund was that we must have property worth millions of naira, which the rice farmers don’t have.”
“There were no incentives for the farmers, especially rice farmers. We did not receive any input from the government. What we received were two bags of fertiliser the federal government brought for all the farmers across the country.
“It was just about 500 farmers cutting across all commodities that received the fertilisers. But we hope that this new administration would make grant, inputs and other incentives for farmers available.”
Challenges
Aliu listed some of the challenges in rice farming to include flood, drought, lack of access road, mechanisation, lack of access to loan and land opening.
He added that insecurity is one of the major challenges as farmers can no longer go to the farm due to herders’ attacks.
He also identified the near absence of extension services as another challenge confronting rice farmers as they rely on personal experience for cultivation.
Market for rice
Aliu said the market for rice was there at all times but they don’t have enough produce to sell, adding that the price is determined by availability.
He called on the state government to open up land for large farming because if farmers are in clusters, security threat would be minimal.
“The government should set up a special agricultural fund to be assessed by farming associations and not individuals. This will boost rice production in Edo State,” he advised.
He also advised the youth to go into rice farming as it is profitable.
