Nigeria can be self-sufficient in rice if post-harvest losses are reduced – Researchers
Nigeria can become self-sufficient in rice in eight years if post-harvest losses are reduced to between 30 per cent and 16 per cent.
Dr Nehemiah Danbaba, of the National Cereals Research Institute, Badeggi, Niger, made the declaration in Awka on Thursday.
He was addressing a three-day capacity building workshop for rice farmers, beneficiaries of Rural Poor Stimulus Facility of the 2022-2023 dry season rice cultivation round as a resource person.
The workshop was put together by the Federal Government of Nigeria/ International Fund for Agricultural Development Value Chain Development Programme (FGN/ IFAD-VCDP).
The consultant to the programme, Dr Michael Nasamu while addressing the opening of the workshop, advised rice farmers to invest heavily in dry season cultivation.
Nasamu said that dry season rice farming was the solution to reduce massive losses to recurrent heavy flooding.
“In 2022, most rice farmers lost heavily to devastating floods. If farmers had adopted dry season rice farming, the situation would have been different.”
He added that rice intensification being emphasised by IFAD-VCDP was aimed at achieving smart ways of rice production. Nigerians consumed eight million tonnes of rice in 2019 at 34.5kg per capita.
He stressed that rice cultivation should be taken as serious business and advised farmers to apply recommended agronomic practices to benefit fully.
In his remarks, Mr Emmanuel Agwuncha, Programme Co-ordinator of IFAD-VCDP in Anambra, said the workshop was unique as it held to train farmers after giving them inputs.
He said, the 26 farmers and extension officers attending the workshop were expected to train more rice farmers.
“We want our farmers to do better, that is why after inputs distribution, we train them in best agronomic practices,’’ he said.
Also addressing the workshop, Mr Fidelis Onyia, a rice farmer from Ayamelum Local Government Area of Anambra, thanked IFAD-VCDP for its efforts at enriching farmers’ knowledge in rice agronomy.
NAN
