‘We expect 7 rice mills to be set up in Kebbi’

Can you estimate the quantity of rice produced in Kebbi State in a season?This year’s rain fed farming season, we got about 700,000 tonnes of rice through our triple cropping. We earlier started by producing rice only during the rainy season. We later commenced rice production through irrigation farming and now we are producing rice […]

Can you estimate the quantity of rice produced in Kebbi State in a season?
This year’s rain fed farming season, we got about 700,000 tonnes of rice through our triple cropping. We earlier started by producing rice only during the rainy season. We later commenced rice production through irrigation farming and now we are producing rice three times a year. We produce rice once during the rainy season and twice under irrigation.
What is the source of water here for irrigation?
We have the River Rima and River Niger that pass through the state. Substantially, we get water for irrigation from River Niger that passes through Chikowa irrigation area. There are areas the two rivers did not pass but they are using tube wells for their irrigation activities.
How many hectares of rice cultivable land do you have here in the state?
We have 21 local government areas in this state. 20 of them are major rice producers. Arewa local government commenced rice production recently making it the 21st. As at this last rainy season, all the 21 local government areas of the state are into commercial rice production. 14 of the 21 local government areas that have direct access to the two rivers produce more than others. Gwandu and Arewa are the ones that have the least production margin. Zuru, Kanko Wasagu and Yauri only produce rice during the rainy season. But others are into triple rice cropping.
How do you get fertilizer and seeds for rice farming?
We used two types of rice seeds here. We have our traditional seed that we use for rain fed rice farming. That is the most popular one we know here. We also have the one that most standard milling machines use. We call it Caroline. We cultivate Caroline mainly under irrigation. The most popular rice seeds are Faro 44 or CP. The other one is Faro 52 or Whiter. The problem is most farmers do not want to buy improved seeds because they wonder why it should cost more than grains. The traditional seed I told you about is what the farmers keep out of their harvested grains and keep until another farming season.
How do you sell your produce after harvest?
Sometimes some companies come here and buy rice from us. The state government has also made arrangement with SURE-P in the state where 10 centres have been established where rice farmers will take their rice to and SURE-P will buy at a good price fixed by the state government. But they will first check and be sure it is the required Faro 44 or Faro 52 before they buy. That has greatly encouraged rice farming in the state. Farmers are sure of a good market for their rice after harvest. A bag of rice in the market is N4,500 but government is buying it from us through the SURE-P arrangement at N6,500 per bag. That is a practical way of encouraging production. Seed companies also engage some of our farmers as out growers to plant and multiply seeds for them and they pay them. They assist such farmers with fertilizer.
Within the past five years, did any farmer benefit from a loan scheme initiated by either the federal or state government?
Yes, there is a programme called commercial agriculture that was introduced here in the state. Under that arrangement, a lot of farmers accessed loan. Most people that got that loan were given N50,000 each. It was Union and Zenith banks that paid the money. There was a time the Bank of Agriculture promised to give some farmers loan but it did not work out. Some of the farmers run away from paying interest while others are not patient enough to wait and fulfill the requirements for loan.      
Is there any arrangement your association is making to invite investors to come and set up rice mills in the state?
The federal government has started doing that.  There is plan with about 7 different companies to set up rice mills in the state. I am sure if some fail others will work out. I think there is plan to operate them under a Private, Public, Partnership (PPP) arrangement; farmers, government and other interested stakeholders will all be part of it. I think the mills will be located at major rice producing communities. When that happens, the question will then be can we produce enough for the mills and not who will buy our rice? There is a company here in Kebbi called Labana that has set up a mill that may soon start operation.
Do you know if any farmer in this state has accessed a loan leveraged by NIRSEL?
I attended several meetings where NIRSEL and Central Bank officials made promises of arranging friendly loans for farmers through other banks but the matter died without any farmer in the state getting any loan either leveraged by NIRSEL or facilitated by it.