THE Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) says that Nigeria has hit annual production of 8 million metric tonnes of rice production with a target of 18 million metric tonnes by 2023.

Aminu Goronyo, the president of the association, told Daily Independent in a chat in Abuja that this was contrary to the speculation that Nigeria was currently producing a little above 4 million metric tonnes.

“The production as of today by RIFAN and other relevant agencies record is 8 million metric tonnes, even Kebbi State alone has hit almost 2 million metric tonnes, if not for the last flood that devastated the farms.

“It has been established by relevant agencies that Nigeria is the largest producer of rice in Africa as the population of rice farmers in the country has also risen.

“With the ever increasing population and the total ban on rice importation RIFAN is targeting 18 million tonnes by 2023,” he said.

According to Goronyo, the feat was achieved with the disbursement of N40 billion by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the Anchor Borrowers Programme (CBN/APB) to over 12.2 million rice farmers.

It would be recalled that in 2018/2019 Wet-season RIFAN/CBN/BOA, Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) Farming Model in Kebbi and Adamawa states has 26,000 rice farmers, out of the 10 million farmers from 32 states targeted for the project benefited from the pilot project, under the first phase of the programme, 6,800 hectares of land were cultivated at the cost of N203,000 per hectare.

“It is a cashless project that provides farmers the needed farm inputs, which comprise improved seedlings, water pumps, chemicals and other services like land eparations also under the project, mechanised services was also made available to farmers,’’ he said.

The RIFAN President added that under the ABP, over 33.6 million Nigerians were gainfully employed and due to the support of the template by the CBN, additional 5 million applications had been received to be members of RIFAN. – Independent

BE

– May 22, 2019 @ 16:14 GMT |