Olam Farms engages locals as rice harvest begins

Olams Rice Farms, producers of Mama’s Pride and Chef’s Choice Rice, has commenced harvest in its dry season rice farming circle. A total number of 11 combined harvesters and one splitter harvest machine were deployed for the harvest. The number of hi-tech machines deployed did not, however, stop the farm from engaging over 600 seasonal […]

Olams Rice Farms, producers of Mama’s Pride and Chef’s Choice Rice, has commenced harvest in its dry season rice farming circle.

A total number of 11 combined harvesters and one splitter harvest machine were deployed for the harvest.

The number of hi-tech machines deployed did not, however, stop the farm from engaging over 600 seasonal workers from the host communities to participate in the exercise, General Manager of the farm, Mr. Pieter Nel, said.

Out of the 12,920 hectares, being the total area of the farm, the dry season rice farm, according to the farm officers, sits on 3,000 hectares with each yielding an unprecedented 4.2 to 4.5 tonnes.

This is far above the national yield per hectare which is currently put at between 1.3 and 1.8 tonnes.

Mr. Pieter Nel told newspaper editors, who were at the farm to witness the harvest, that the high yield  per hectare recorded in the farm was due to some best farming practices used in them.

Some of the practices, he said, were the raising of the soil standard to meet the rice varieties, which he stated, was done after series of soil tests in different laboratories. 

The practices, he said, also included using appropriate technology, including aircraft for the seedlings, application of fertilizers as well as spraying of insecticides on the farm, when necessary.

The farm manager, Mr. Mark Mclean, who conducted the editors round the farm, said 1400 hectares would be added to the 3,000 already in use for the forthcoming rain-fed season, which would increase the hectarage to 4,400.

The farm manager said four varieties of rice – Faro 44, C90, C20 and L34 were planted  and that they all gave  the expected high yields, adding that the farm is currently studying over 100 other varieties with a view to adopt some.

Speaking on the irrigation activities in the farm, the Farm Manager, said water is channeled from River Benue using five submersible pumps with each capable of  pumping 5,000 cubic metres per second to the farm for its dry season farming.

“Because of this, we have  the capacity to farm two times in a year, producing 4.2 tons per hectares and we have 3,000 hectares for the dry season and planning 4,400 hectares for this coming wet season,” he said.

He, however, said the farm could not still produce the needed paddy for its milling plant, also located within the farm. 

“We have about 6,000 out growers from where we buy paddy but they are still not enough and we have to augment from the open markets,’’ he said.

At the milling plant, the Director Quality Assurance, Madan Sigh, said the company attached much importance to the quality and safety of its rice and therefore do not use chemical indiscriminately during production.

“We conduct relevant analysis to ensure that our rice is safe and meet the nutritional values,’’ he added.

The General Manager had earlier told the journalists that their milling plant has 105,000 milling capacity.

On their social responsibilities to the host communities, the Farm’s Community Relations Manager, Abubakar Ogashuwa, said the farm created access roads to link up the six host communities around the farm, provide the communities with solar power, built boreholes in each of the communities, construct block of six classrooms for their school as well as introduced scholarship for their children in the school

He said the farm was also in constant meeting with herders to avoid crises that could come up through invasion of the farm by their animals. 

Some of the locals, who spoke with Daily Trust, said the farm had been relating well with its host communities.

“Apart from providing us with some facilities, they also allow us to fish inside their farm. However, we will continue to demand for more but for now, they are doing well with us,” one of the residents told Daily Trust.  

Olam’s Vice President, Corporate and Government