Inside Jigawa rice farms

…how new approach boosts production If you visit rice project farms in Jigawa State and take statistics of the total number of hectares under cultivation and the average yield per hectare, the result may place the state above current production level in the nation’s ranking of rice producing states. Located in the north-west, about 138 […]

…how new approach boosts production

Located in the north-west, about 138 kilometres from from the commercial city of Kano, Jigawa, is a top producer of rice and wheat-much more than most people think.

With 411,000 hectares already earmarked for the 2017 rain-fed season, using clustered and group methodology under the state government’s Rice Special Programme, the quanta of production for the two grains, which take the bulk of the nation’s food import bill, will change.

Also, strategic for rice production in the state is the Hadejia-Jama’are River Basin Authority that has over 24,300 hectares (about 60,000 acres)-a Federal Government irrigation project, which stretches 35 kilometres long and eight kilometres wide, is home to thousands of rice and wheat farmers.

The  Hadejia-Jama‘are River Basin Development Authority stretches across areas in Jigawa, Kano and Bauchi states, with a total potential irrigation area of 250,000 hectares (617, 763.454 acres).

Apart from this huge potential, the state government has initiated a number of rice and wheat production projects to scale up the quantum of production using different approaches.

In Kawari, Ringim Local Government Area, a 210 hectare of dry season rice farm established by the state government is approaching harvest season.

Bukar Husseini is a 60-year-old rice farmer in one of the projects initiated by the state government covering 210 hectares in the ongoing dry season scheme. For the father of 15 children and husband to two women, life has changed.

In a chat with Daily Trust, at his farm, he said: “Before now, I did rice cultivation on small scale because of my inability to afford farm inputs. But with the state government’s programme of massive rice production, I was given six bags of fertiliser-four NPK, two urea and Faro 44 seeds. You can see the rice yourself. I’m so happy.”

Like Husseni, Dahiru Bala could not hide his feelings for the expected harvest. For him, the fasting period, which will precede the period of harvest is a blessed moment. The 32-year-old father of four said he would like to reap up to 12 metric tonnes from his two hectares.

Although the inputs are not given to them free, most of the farmers expressed willingness to pay back as soon as harvest is done. The state government’s loan is without interest.

Abubakar Garba Idris, a young rice farmer expressed gratitude to the state government for the intervention. He said he got water pumping machines, six bags of fertiliser and seeds.

But he said the challenge is in the area of fuelling the pumping machines because of the cost of fuel: something he wants the state government to look into.

He wants the state government to look into the issue of access road to the project site.

Auwalu Isa Kila is the acting Director, Technical services, Rice Special Programme, Jigawa Agriculture and Rural Development Services. He said the site has 190 farmers and is a new project in the area. He said the government is preparing for the wet season as soon as harvest for the dry season is done with.

In Kaugama Local Government Area, a 500-hectare of rice production field, specifically for 1000 youths, is in full swing. With two youths per hectare, it is designed to take the youths off the streets to production area where they can make money for themselves and their families.

The government provided the mechanisation, seeds, fertiliser, herbicides and tube wells, as well as pumping machines. The youths are to manage the field, payback the costs of the inputs and anything else goes into their pockets.

Daily Trust, on visit to the field saw the youths, despite fasting, busy transplanting rice, while others prepared the nursery beds.

Alhaji Lawan Baba Dauda, Zonal Director, Zone 3, Hadejia-comprising eight local government areas, in a chat with Daily Trust in one of the farms for the youths, said the state government had provided everything the youths needed for the farms.

“This place was initially barren. We ploughed and harrowed the place for the youths. After the harrowing, we gave a hectare to two youths. We also gave each youth N1000 for fuel,” he said.

According to him, the expected yield per hectare in the Hadejia area was seven to eight tonnes.

Mallam  Mohammadu Kaura 29, is engaged in rice production in the area. He said the youth rice production programme had changed them significantly, adding that it had taken them away from many social vices that affected many youths in those areas.

“This project has reduced idleness in us. We no longer travel long distances to the south where we are being looked down upon. The governor has simply solved these problems and we are very grateful. You don’t need to have money to start a rice farm,” he stated.

Daily Trust visited the Hadejia-Jama’are irrigation project where hundreds of farmers were counting days to harvest their rice, excitement is building among the farmers as huge harvest is expected from the ‘seed of gold’.

Although the irrigation project belongs to the Federal Government, the Jigawa State Government provides support to the farmers by supplying the inputs needed; including mechanisation.

Dahiru Isyaku, a rice and wheat farmer sums up the feeling of farmers in the areas thus: “We are happy because the state government has provided all the necessary support we need. We are just waiting for the harvest so that we can pay for the inputs.”

Governor Mohammed Badaru Abubakar said the clustered techniques and the provision of inputs to the farmers had pushed production level from 1.6 million metric tonnes to 2.1 million metric tonnes on the average of 5 tonnes in the dry season and 4 tonnes in the rain-fed season even though many farmers grow more than the average because of the provision of inputs.