The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) has assured Nigerians of their commitment to boost rice production to reduce high cost of the commodity.
Mr Samuel Akande, the Chairman of RIFAN,Oyo Chapter said the farmers’ target for years was to get quality rice to the table regularly and cheaper than it is. He noted that the association encouraged members to engage in commercial farming to achieve its goals.
Akande remarked that the RIFAN/CBN/Unity bank Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) had been the only sure hope for rice farmers in the state. He said relevant input required by smallholder farmers were included in the ABP package, based on the assumed capacity of the farmer.
“All over Nigeria, rice pyramids are coming back on a serious note, RIFAN has been selling rice paddy to millers with the intention to bring the price of rice down.
“Farmers are really not feeling safe to work their full capacity to produce food on daily basis as they are being attacked and their rice farm grazed without hindrance. No land clearing equipment, irrigation systems are not being maintained where they are available.
“Another area of challenge is the flood/drought experiences which the farmers can’t control unless there is a well-planned and managed irrigation system, small holder farmers cannot put this in place without government’s intervention.
“To boost rice production, what we, the farmers can do and which we have been doing is to recruit more people to plant rice and train them, with farmers on ground, any willing government will find it easy to identify and locate the right farmers to support”.
“Farmers can only produce for the market, our middlemen buy low and sell high so only the government has the wherewithal to fix the price at a desirable level.
“We also urge Nigerians to imbibe the culture of eating our locally produced foods to encourage continued existence of such a project”.