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Tag: rice farmers

  • Fed Govt, Ogun lift 100 rice farmers with input for dry season farming

    Fed Govt, Ogun lift 100 rice farmers with input for dry season farming

    The Assisted-Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in collaboration with the Ogun Government, has distributed agro inputs to 100 rice farmers in the state.

    The inputs were distributed yesterday in Abeokuta ahead of the upcoming dry season farming.

    The support was facilitated by the FGN/OGSG/IFAD-Assisted Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP-AF) in collaboration with the FAB AYOKA Agro Service Ltd.

    Speaking during the commencement of the dry season nputs distribution, state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Bolu Owotomo, explained the essence of the support.

    He said the support was to increase rice production and food security in the state.

    “The support will increase production of rice, being  the staple food in the country, and it will also encourage local production of rice, especially during the dry season,” Owotomo said.

    The commissioner, who was represented by both the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr. Kehinde Jokotoye, and Mrs. Omolola Ojelade, the ministry’s Director of Fishery Services, stated the benefits.

    He said the support would increase internally-generated funds, from the product of rice and also improve the income capacity of local farmers.

    The commissioner added that it would also help to utilise the hidden potential of land available and suitable for rice production.

    “The initiative symbolises our collective commitment to empowering our local communities which are engaging in agriculture, as well as fostering sustainable growth and ensuring food security.

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    “The magnanimous support of the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, towards the IFAD/VCDP programme in our state has made it possible for us to enhance the livelihood of our farmers.

    “This is with the aim of providing them with tools they need for successful and prosperous harvest.

    “It is worthy of note to mention that the the state governor has supported in paying the counterpart fund of N71.5 million,” he said.

    The commissioner expressed his appreciation of the collaboration with the FGN-IFAD/VCDP, saying it has brought about a positive impact on the state.

    This impact, he said, was in terms of innovation and progress in the state’s agricultural landscape.

  • Rice farmers face hard time over rising costs

    Rice farmers face hard time over rising costs

    Rice prices will continue to soar this year as spiraling costs of inputs and petrol by a high margin has caught many farmers off guard, The Nation learnt.

    Across the country, inflation continues to simmer largely due to higher prices of rice and other food items.

    Currently, rice sells for between N95, 000 and N110, 000 per bag. Prices of rice have soared due to poor harvests caused by insecurity challenges, high costs of inputs and petrol prices selling between 950 and N1,019 in different parts of the country.

    In an interview with The Nation, a member of The National Working Committee of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Alhaji Muhammed Sahabi-Augie, voiced his apprehension regarding the recent increase in rice prices.

    He highlighted that this rise could exacerbate the financial burden on the most vulnerable populations, raising concerns about the potential for significantly higher food costs.

    According to him, the cost of irrigation for rice farmers using petrol has gone up.

    His words: “ A farmer now spends N50,000 a day on petrol  to irrigate an hectare of rice farm. He is expected to spend this amount for three months until he harvests the paddy. N50,000 a day is for farmers who have access to a filling station. Those in the hinterland who buy petrol at black market can spend more than N70,000  a  day. ”

    He expressed the view that the increase in petrol prices has placed farmers in a difficult situation, calling for subsidies to aid those in agriculture. Sahabi-Augie noted that there is a chance that the total production of rice may decline.

    According to Sahabi-Augie, there is a potential risk of a reduction in the overall production of rice.

    He maintained that higher rice prices will play a role in driving food inflation, as farmers depend greatly on inputs to cultivate their crops. The recent spike in petrol prices has also raised their production costs.

    In addition, many farmers are uncertain whether they will secure profitable prices for their produce after the harvest.

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    Another farmer in Jigawa State, Mai Unguwa Gabarin , had a similar reaction.

    According to him, the cost of irrigating a rice farm had already soared considerably.

    He noted that   a farmer can spend up to N1 million a month for irrigation.

    As rice is irrigation dependent, he sees the cultivation of the crop suffering because of the increase in production cost.

    For farmers, the latest hike will not only push up irrigation costs further but also increase expenses for harvesting and threshing too.

    Recently, the Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State on Agriculture, Dr. Oluwarotimi Fashola, has pointed to the erratic rainfall pattern, and hike in the price of diesel as key factors influencing the cost of local rice production.

    Fashola cited various challenges, including intermittent drought, soaring fertilizer prices, flooding, security concerns, reduced land cultivation, suboptimal irrigation systems, and escalating diesel costs, as contributors to the increasing costs associated with rice production.

    He explained that the land area dedicated to rice cultivation last year has diminished at the production level, resulting in a price surge.

  • Rice farmers worried over predicted flooding, pest attacks

    Rice farmers worried over predicted flooding, pest attacks

    Rice farmers in Bayelsa State have expressed concern about the predicted flooding in the state and constant pest attacks on their farms.

    The Federal Government recently warned that 13 states including Bayelsa could be affected by flooding as a result of heavy rainfall.

    The farmers, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa, urged the government to put necessary measures in place to save their farms from being washed away.

    According to them, the rising water level in the surrounding rivers is a threat to their premature rice farms as they do not have nearby functional processing facilities.

    The Managing Director of Ovieya Rice Farm, Mr. Ovieya Sini, told NAN that he had invested much in his 15 plots of rice farm in Famgbe Community, Yenagoa.

    Sini said his major fear was the rising water level, which made it difficult for him to access the farm except with canoe.

    He also said constant attacks by pests and unavailability of functional processing facility in Yenagoa made things difficult for him and other rice farmers.

    Sini called on the government to assist the farmers with pesticides and processing facility in order to produce rice that could feed Bayelsa and other neighbouring states in the Niger Delta.

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    “I am operating a rice farm that is more than 15 plots in Famgbe Community, but currently confronting the challenges of flooding of farmlands.

    “Pests attacks and unavailability of nearby processing facility are serious issues;  this is why I am calling on the government to save the farm and help me produce rice for use in the state.

    “Another challenge here is how to convey the farm produce to upland for procession; you know our terrain is riverine.

    “But if government can assist us with boats and other palliative measures,  we can produce rice that feed Bayelsa and other states, our land is good for rice cultivation.”

    The managing director appealed for financial assistance from the government in order to help the farmers to expand their farms.

    He said such financial assistance could enable him to expand his plots from 15 to 30 or 50 plots and contribute in tackling food shortage in the society.

    “I have invested many resources already in the farm; but if government can assist with pesticides, tackle flooding in our society, we will have a bumper harvest.

    “My vision is to produce rice that feed Bayelsa and other neighbouring states, as well as acquiring a processing machine that will help process our harvested rice in Bayelsa.” he said.

    Another rice farmer, Mr. Bestman Ogbogi, lamented that the farms were already under flood and pest attacks.

    He said the water level had risen and was flowing into their farms and pleaded with relevant authorities to intervene and save their farms.

    Ogbogi called on the state government and the Federal Government to come to the aid of farmers so that their produce would not be destroyed by flood and pests.

  • No loan defaulters among rice farmers—RIFAN boss

    Segun Atho is the National Vice President, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN). In this interview with Charles Okonji, he gives fresh insights into how over one million members of his Association benefited from Anchor Borrowers Fund (ABF) vis-à-vis challenges and opportunities presented by the scheme. Excerpts:

    How many of your members benefited from ABF? 

    We are part of Anchor Borrowers Fund, we have benefited immensely from the funds. We have a model. We are professionally and gradually getting to where we are aiming to be. The Fund has helped all the rice farmers in the whole country to improve and increase production. We have started producing RIFAN rice.

    Have you experienced any form of challenge in the arrangement?

    Yes, so far, the programme has benefited our members tremendously, but some of the rice processors are trying to sabotage us, so we had to device another strategy. We, the rice farmers decided to start processing our rice on our own because we have discovered that some of the rice millers have started jeopardizing our efforts. We are trying to see how we can make fresh farm rice available for consumers all over the country, starting from the 19 states in the North and the 17 states in the South.  All the members of the Association are covered by this Anchor Borrowers’ Fund. We are currently doing the distribution of farm inputs to rice farmers in the country to ensure that every farmer benefit from this programme. I can tell without mincing words that the members of Rice Farmers Association all over the country are utilising the funds.

    Can you tell us about the rate of compliance with regards to loan repayment?

    I can tell you categorically that almost all our members are complying. We have not recorded any defaulter that I know of. We have not had any recent report that is involving default by any of our members. It may have been in the past but not now because I am not aware of any.

    How has the programme impacted rice production?

    We have increased our output astronomically due to impact of the ABF, and that happened because we have enforced and monitored its utilisation strictly. The success is attributed to the fact that we designed a model that does not involve giving money but inputs, and other services. So, CBN has helped us to see that no bank disburses cash to any famer. RIFAN will provide the necessary inputs and supply to all farmers. No state of the federation is left out; every state is supplied with inputs. In our own model, we provide our members with all the required inputs needed for farming, but no cash. We have tractors of our own and we will be distributing all the inputs to all our members soon, as this is our cultivation period.

    How do you handle loan recovery?

    Our loan recovery method is in line with the model we adopted.  For instance, recently, we distributed vehicles to farmers in Abuja and environs through our efforts to make sure that we have monitoring team in every state, we have loan recovery team. This is to enable us recover through the rice-paddy or cash alternatively from the farmers. That is the arrangement that is on the ground now. Almost all our members are complying because the Bank of Agriculture also has our money in their custody.

    Can you actually achieve competitiveness in rice production and supply in Nigeria?

    Yes, before 2020, we would have flooded the Nigerian market with rice produced by Nigerians and the country will no longer have business importing or smuggling rice because our price would be competitive. We are seriously working hard to make sure that we achieve this dream because rice is the only staple food we have in this country.

    Is the CBN borrowers’ scheme spreading well enough among the geo-political zone?

    Yes.

    How can an individual take the advantage of this borrowers programme?

    You have to organise yourselves into groups before you can benefit from this scheme, then, you will write to the CBN indicating interest in  participating in the borrowers scheme. So, you have to indicate if you will like to come through our rice farmers association before you can benefit from the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme. All what it will take you is to be captured, and after which we will map your land to know the size of your land, then you will start as a small holder farmer. Your contribution as a small holder farmer starts from 0.5 hectare to the maximum of five hectare.

    Under the Anchor Borrowers Scheme, there are people we called the “Off Takers”. We entered into arrangement with all rice processors in the country as our Off-Takers. We signed an agreement with them in the presence of Mr. President in Also Rock Abuja. We signed an agreement with Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN), and Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), that whatever rice we are producing as an association, they are there on standby to off take everything. We also got some banks which have opened zero-account for all the farmers in our association that produce rice. If you produce rice as a member of this association, your rice will be off-taken by RIPAN, and because it is a loan, the loan will be deducted and your balance will be paid into your account. We are working with Bank of Agriculture and Unity Bank all over the country. So, off-taking of our products isn’t a problem in our association.

    Can you sustain self-sufficiency rice production?      

    Yes we can, Nigeria can feed herself if the CBN injects more money into the programme as earlier proposed in the beginning of this year, I can assure you without mincing words that our production will not only improve, but explode. Also, if all the state governments should tap into farming, especially coastal states like Lagos that have the advantage of rice-paddy due to its natural endowment, we would flood the market in no distance time. Lagos state for instance, has never captured agriculture in its budget. It only focuses on the infrastructural development, but has forgotten that it ought to invest also such areas.

  • Rice farmers praise Buhari in Lagos

    The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria has tasked managers of the Nigerian economy to formulate favourable economic policies to drive the nation’s agricultural sector.

    The charge is coming on the heels of the nation’s diversification efforts, which will also help in creating employment for the country’s teeming unemployed youths.

    The rice farmers through its National Deputy President, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, Segun Atho, also called on the federal government to as a matter of urgency provide adequate infrastructure such as tractors, bulldozers to achieve mechanised farming, saying that it will also help in making agriculture attractive to the Nigerian youth.

    He stated this when the association welcomed the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammad Buhari, to Lagos at the weekend.

    “We are here to commend President Muhammad Buhari for the support he has given Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, creating the environment for farmers to continue our job in feeding the nation. He has done well and we are also wishing him victory in the forthcoming elections. We want to assure him of our support, we have been supporting him all along and we will continue to support him for his positive contribution to agriculture particularly to rice farmers in the country,” he said.

    In his words, “In terms of agriculture, he has started well with us and we urge him to continue creating the environment for agriculture to attract most of the nation’s youth into agriculture. Agriculture is the right way to diversify the nation away from hydro carbon resources.”

    He tasked the federal government to make more fertilisers available, more arable lands available in the southern part of the country, stressing that the association is committed to making agriculture the mainstay of the Nigerian economy.

    According to him, “Nigeria has the capacity to be self-sufficient in rice production, but all hands must be on deck to support the sector. We have about 95 million hectares of arable land suitable for agriculture in this country and out of the 95 million, if we can access 10 million of the land, we will change the narrative of this country.”

    “We need government to do more about providing land for agriculture and we want to also enjoin the state government to key into agriculture to make the burden less on the federal government.

    Rice is one of the major staple foods that can sustain the Nigerian family for a whole day. Policies that will support agriculture must be formulated. Since the Maputo declaration was signed, Nigeria is yet to contribute 10 per cent of its budget to sustain agriculture and national development,” he said.

     

  • CBN to support 120,000 rice farmers in Kano

    No fewer than 120, 000 rice farmers in Kano State will benefit from the Federal Government’s Anchor Borrower Programme (ABP) for this year’s dry season farming, the state Chairman of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu, has said.

    He stated this in an interview in Kano, during the week.

    He said already the list of the registered farmers had been forwarded to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for verification and processing of the loan facility.

    He said each farmer would receive a loan package of not less than N220, 000 comprising input and certain amount of money for paying labour.

    He said: “About 150, 000 rice farmers registered for the programme, but the number had to be reduced to 120,000 due to issue relating to Bank Verification Number (BVN).

    “The list of the successful farmers have been forwarded to the CBN for immediate processing as the dry season farming activities for the commodity will soon commence,”

    Aliyu advised farmers who were not able to scale through due to the issue of the BVN to exercise patience, assuring that they would be given priority during the wet season programme.

    He also advised those selected to make best use of the loan facility to boost rice production in the state and the country at large.

    “This is an opportunity for our members to improve their socio-economic status since the Federal Government was committed to supporting the sector for massive food production in the country,” Aliyu said.

    He urged farmers across the country to embrace rice production so as to end importation of the commodity.

     

  • ‘Rice farmers may not meet loan obligations’

    The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) has appealed to the Federal Government to grant farmers affected by recent flooding fresh loans to enable them to engage in dry season farming. The National President of RIFAN, Alhaji Aminu Goroyo, said this would also enable the farmers to service their loans. Goroyo, who decried the plight of its members following the last massive flooding in the country, said the huge losses resulting from the incident compounded the difficulty of rice farmers in meeting their loan obligations to lenders.

    According to him, no fewer than 360, 000 farmers that got loans from the Central Bank of Nigeria through its Anchor Borrowers’ Programme are affected. ”Most of the affected farmers no longer have the capacity for loan repayment, having lost most of their crops to floods,” he said.Goroyo thanked President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, and the CBN governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, who worked hard to ensure the success of the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme. RIFAN’s appeal came days after Buhari assured that farmers affected by the massive rains this year would be compensated.Buhari gave the assurance at an event to mark the Farmers Day 2018 in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

    He was represented by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina. ”I want to assure all flood-affected farmers and fishermen that you will be helped. This government is with you in your time of need. As I speak to you now, the modalities for this compensation programme are being finalised and very soon, we shall start implementation,” Adesina quoted him as saying. Recall that in October, Ogbeh warned that the country might experience rice shortage as a result of the flooding in the states producing it.

    At a  seed exhibition  in Abuja, he  said major rice producing states, including Jigawa, Kebbi, Anambra and Kogi, were affected. he said the government and other stakeholders must  assist the victims to avert the looming scarcity of the staple.

     

     

  • Expert urges increased support for rice farmers

    World Bank Consultant Abel Ogunwale has canvassed increased support for rice farmers to boost harvest and incomes.

    He said if the rice sector enjoys robust growth, the economy will develop significantly.

    He also urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to improve the monitoring of its Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) to ensure the right farmers in the sector secure loans.

    According to him, there was need to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the rice sector with financial resources to acquire inputs, among others.

    He added that construction of rice and paddy machineries should be given special consideration for loans.

    Apart from loans and finances, he said the government should support the modernisation of technology and market access.

  • Rice farmer purchase nomination form for Buhari

    Over 12 million rice farmers in the country have jointly contributed money to provide nomination form for President Muhammad Buhari.

    This was disclosed in Birnin Kebbi by the National President of the Association Alhaji Aminu Goronyo during a courtesy call on Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu.

    The National President who led other National and State Officials of the association on the visit explained that they decided to pay homage to him in his capacity as the Chairman Presidential Task Force on Rice and Wheat Production in Nigeria and Vice Chairman National Food Security Council, to lead them to President Buhari to deliver the form.

    Alhaji Aminu Goronyo was grateful to President Buhari and Governor Bagudu for encouraging rice production in the country which significantly reduced rice importation.

    He recalled that Governor Bagudu recently led members of RIFAN to the Presidential Villa to present membership card to President Buahri.

    In response, Governor of Bagudu welcomed the gesture by rice farmers to procure nomination form for President Buhari.

    He commended Farmers Association for mobilizing its members nation-wide to embark on massive rice production.
    Senator Bagudu commended Buhari for giving Rice and Wheat Farmers necessary financial support and input to sustain cultivation.

    The Governor said a date will soon be fixed for members representing all the states to converge on Abuja to present the nomination form to President Buhari.

    He announced that Kebbi State Government would distribute castro-oil to youths in the state which served as lubricant for electricity transformer as well as begin honey production for sale to pharmaceutical industry for economic empowerment of youths and the public.

  • Government approves N377m loan for rice farmers

    The Osun State government has approved N377.1 million agriculture loan for 1,000 rice farmers to cultivate 1,000 hectares of farmland in the state.

    In a statement yesterday in Osogbo, the state capital, by his media aide, Mr Sola Fasure, Governor Rauf Aregbesola said the loan would be accessed from the Bank of Agriculture (BOA).

    The governor said farmers in Ola-Oluwa, Egbedore and Ejigbo local government areas would benefit from the loan, which is a facility under the Anchor Borrowers Programme of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

    He said the loan was approved by the State Executive Council (Exco), as requested by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

    Aregbesola also said the Exco considered and approved N2 billion for the upgrade and rehabilitation of nine technical colleges in the state.

    He said the technical colleges to be rehabilitated are in Osogbo, Gbongan, Ijebu’Jesa, Otan Ayegbaju, Osu, Iwo, Inisa, Ara and Ile-Ife, adding that Skill G Nigeria Limited would handle the project.