DIMO Agri Machinery Division together with
Mahindra Tractors supports “Waga Saubhagya” and youth-led Barren Land
Recultivation
July, 13, 2020
With its aim to assist
in the process of reviving the country’s economy, the Agri Machinery Division
of DIMO together with its partner Mahindra tractors came to the fore in
supporting the country’s national initiative to recultivate barren paddy lands
across the island.
The government has
identified the need to recultivate these lands in its vision to bring forth a
self-sufficient economy and the national project “Waga Saubhagya’’ was launched
as a result. The national event of Waga Saubhagya 2020 was held in Kegalle
district. As the Official Machinery Partner of the event, DIMO supplied
Mahindra Yuvo tractors for preparations of these abandoned lands, empowering
the national initiative commencement.
The government’s
initiative has encouraged social responsibility among Sri Lankans and it is
highly commendable to see the youth of the country rallying behind it,
shouldering the responsibility and committing to cultivate barren lands. Yuresh
Eranga, the Founder of “Mr. Farmer” is one such aspiring farmer from the young
generation who has been engaging in recultivation of barren lands. He is on
course to implement organic cultivation methodology in these lands with the
objective of producing and introducing organic rice to the local market under
the brand name of “Mr. Farmer”.
DIMO has already
collaborated with “Mr. Farmer” to recultivate 12 acres of an abandoned land in
Malabe by providing Mahindra Yuvo tractors to prepare the lands. As a
responsible corporate, DIMO expects to provide machinery assistance alongside
technical instructions to “Mr. Farmer” and encourage them to recultivate more
lands.
‘’Agriculture sector
has a huge potential in developing the Sri Lankan economy. It is a vital factor
that the country utilizes abandoned paddy lands for recultivation and optimizes
the resource management in the agriculture sector. DIMO is privileged to
support this endeavor”, said Ranjith Pandithage Chairman and Managing Director
of DIMO.
Commenting on the
development Sanjay Jadhav, Vice President, International Operations (South
Asia) of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, said “We at Mahindra and the team at DIMO
Agri Machinery Division are proud to introduce Mahindra’s next-generation
tractors to the youth under the “Waga Saubhagya” program; modern tractors, with
all the right attributes and developed to drive productivity, as the youth of
Sri Lanka drive the change in making the country self-sufficient. DIMO is
Mahindra’s sole partner in Sri Lanka and together with them, we are fully
committed to supporting the ‘Waga Saubhagya” initiative.
“This inspiration from
the youth has already created a certain buzz around the island and if they are
provided with necessary support, they are capable of continuing the
government’s vision as one country,” said Viranga Wickramaratne, Chief Operating
Officer (COO) - Retail Cluster of DIMO.
“Apart from supporting
the national initiative, I applaud DIMO’s initiative to support young
entrepreneurs to make our country self-sufficient once again,” said Yuresh
Eranga, Founder of Mr. Farmer.
“Land preparation
costs account to nearly 50% of the total cost for recultivation on abandoned
paddy lands and with DIMO coming forward to help us as the machinery partner,
we were able to vastly reduce project costs. We were also able to accelerate
the land preparation process with Mahindra Yuvo tractors while saving time,”
Eranga added.
DIMO Agri Machinery
Division brings state-of-the-art technology in the field of agriculture and is
dedicated to improve the country’s agriculture by empowering local farmers with
necessary equipment and valuable knowledge. DIMO is the Sole Distributor of
popular Mahindra tractors and CLAAS harvesters in Sri Lanka, the company is
renowned for offering best-in-class after sales services and certified genuine
spare parts.
Photo Caption
- Land Preparation at Mr. Farmer - Malabe Project
Asene Manso Akroso District Acquire Machinery To Add Value To
Agriculture Produce
12-Jul-2020
The Asene Manso Akroso District
Assembly is to acquire equipment to add value to agriculture produce under the
Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD) produce.
The aim is to increase the incomes of farmers and create new opportunities and jobs for the youth in the District.
The equipment, to arrive in the District soon, include oil palm digester, oil palm boiler, a cracker, winnowing machine, rice mill and destoning machine.
This was disclosed by Mr Prosper Klu, the District Director of Agriculture at the Research Extension and Farmers Linkage Committee (RELC) session at Akim Manso in the Eastern Region.
The RELC session is held annually to bring actors on the agriculture value chain including farmers, food processors, input dealers and consumers to meet Agriculture Extension Agents and Researchers to address challenges on the various fields in the agriculture value chain.
Mr Klu explained that the session helped the department to draw its annual work plan.
The meeting observed that, climate change, worm infestation and poor farm management were the major causes of low productivity in the District.
Mr Francis Ampofo, the Assistant Agricultural Officer in Charge of Monitoring and Evaluation at the Eastern Regional Agriculture Directorate, urged the participants to seek advice from the Agriculture Extension Agents in the District to improve upon their farm maintenance.
Mr David Nyavor of the Eastern Regional Agriculture Engineering Department, said his department has mechanic planters, tractors, cassava harvester, multi-crop thresher, rice reaper, among others to enhance farming activities at the Agriculture Engineering Services Directorate in Accra.
He said Farmer Based Organisations (FBO), individuals or Non-Governmental Organisations could purchase them at subsidised prices by the government.
Madam Comfort Anim, Leader of Ideal Women's Group, an oil palm processing group in Akim Asuboa, called on food processors to abide by hygienic protocols in their work to ensure good health and safety during and after the corona virus pandemic.
The aim is to increase the incomes of farmers and create new opportunities and jobs for the youth in the District.
The equipment, to arrive in the District soon, include oil palm digester, oil palm boiler, a cracker, winnowing machine, rice mill and destoning machine.
This was disclosed by Mr Prosper Klu, the District Director of Agriculture at the Research Extension and Farmers Linkage Committee (RELC) session at Akim Manso in the Eastern Region.
The RELC session is held annually to bring actors on the agriculture value chain including farmers, food processors, input dealers and consumers to meet Agriculture Extension Agents and Researchers to address challenges on the various fields in the agriculture value chain.
Mr Klu explained that the session helped the department to draw its annual work plan.
The meeting observed that, climate change, worm infestation and poor farm management were the major causes of low productivity in the District.
Mr Francis Ampofo, the Assistant Agricultural Officer in Charge of Monitoring and Evaluation at the Eastern Regional Agriculture Directorate, urged the participants to seek advice from the Agriculture Extension Agents in the District to improve upon their farm maintenance.
Mr David Nyavor of the Eastern Regional Agriculture Engineering Department, said his department has mechanic planters, tractors, cassava harvester, multi-crop thresher, rice reaper, among others to enhance farming activities at the Agriculture Engineering Services Directorate in Accra.
He said Farmer Based Organisations (FBO), individuals or Non-Governmental Organisations could purchase them at subsidised prices by the government.
Madam Comfort Anim, Leader of Ideal Women's Group, an oil palm processing group in Akim Asuboa, called on food processors to abide by hygienic protocols in their work to ensure good health and safety during and after the corona virus pandemic.
Source: GNA
Anchor Borrowers: CBN-RIFAN’s 36,000 bags
of rice hit markets
Our
Reporter
ABOUT
36,000 bags of rice produced by local farmers under the Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN)- funded Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) have hit Nigerian
markets.
The
bags of rice were produced during the 2019/2020 dry season
It
was learnt that the mass production of the local rice was designed to crash the
price of Nigeria’s most consumed staple food.
The
scheme, funded by CBN, is being midwifed by the Rice Farmers Association of
Nigeria (RIFAN).
According
to RIFAN, sales of its padi rice to millers was flagged off at the
weekend in Taraba State.
The
Secretary of RIFAN, Taraba State chapter, Mamman Rabiu, in a statement last
night said “36,000 bags of padi rice were sold to the integrated millers, local
millers, women groups, among others at the subsidized price of N11,000 per
100-kilogram bag.
“The
36,000 bags were collected from members of RIFAN as 30 percent equity of the
2019/2020 dry season recovery. The padi was sold to millers in the local
communities. And they are expected to process the padi and sell it back to the
community at a subsidized price.”
Rabiu
said RIFAN has signed an MoU with the millers to sell the finished products at
a subsidized price as part of efforts to ensure food security.
He
said the agreement covers integrated millers who have bigger machinery for
de-stoning and polishing.
Read Also: CBN
palliatives coming for aviation industry
He
added: “For example, there are plans to sell a processed bag of
rice at N15,000 per 50 kilogram bag. It is worth mentioning here that a
50kg local bag of rice sells at an average N18,000 in Taraba state. On the
other hand, the RIFAN agreement will see small holding millers (who don’t have
machinery for de-stoning and polishing, etc) to sell their 50kg bag at between
N13-N13,500.
He
said the Taraba State “success story is what is happening across the
entire federation, “The essence of ABP is to ensure food safety and security.
By this, the local farmers are economically empowered, while the general public
is fed with healthier and nutritious rice at “President Buhari’s action against
hunger and ensuring food security was made possible by CBN under the dynamic
leadership of Mr Godwin Emefiele.
“In
keeping with his promise to run a central bank that would serve the growth and
development needs of the country, Emefiele ensured that CBN becomes a strategic
driver of economic growth of the country.
“The
CBN under him has introduced various initiatives for concessionary funding of
agriculture, which is widely recognized as the sector that has the potential to
drive economic growth affordable prices.”
This
perspective was echoed recently by the President of the African Development
Bank (AfDB) and Nigeria’s former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development,
Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, while speaking on food security.
“The
future of food in the world will depend on what Africa does with agriculture.
Therefore we must change our view on agriculture. Agriculture is not a
development activity or a social sector; agriculture is a business. We must not
use agriculture to manage poverty; instead, we must use agriculture to create
wealth,” the AfDB President said
July 14, 2020, 02:42 PM
As
community quarantine (CQ) continues to take effect to combat COVID-19, many
people are still adjusting to the changes in their new daily routine. For this
teacher of Lucena City National High School named Marcelo Alivia residing in
Quezon province, losing his side jobs as a part-time coach, swimming
instructor, and basketball referee is something he had to face.
Since classes haven’t started yet, he decided to plant in a vacant lot next to their house as a way to relieve his boredom. He was able to get free seeds and seedlings from the regional office of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) through his colleague. A government program called “Tayo ang Kalikasan” that provides seminars and garden competitions also urged him more to start gardening.
Since classes haven’t started yet, he decided to plant in a vacant lot next to their house as a way to relieve his boredom. He was able to get free seeds and seedlings from the regional office of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) through his colleague. A government program called “Tayo ang Kalikasan” that provides seminars and garden competitions also urged him more to start gardening.
Use of
plastic sachets a concern for environmental groups
July 15, 2020, 11:31 AM
Environmental
groups have expressed a growing concern for single-use plastics, specifically
sachets, due to the affordability and convenience they give to Filipino
consumers.
A new report, titled “Sachet Economy: Big Problems in Small Packets,” which was released on Tuesday was commissioned by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) using the data from University of Santo Tomas’ Research Center for Social Sciences and Education to look into Filipinos’ sachet consumption habits.
A new report, titled “Sachet Economy: Big Problems in Small Packets,” which was released on Tuesday was commissioned by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) using the data from University of Santo Tomas’ Research Center for Social Sciences and Education to look into Filipinos’ sachet consumption habits.
Autokid now
offers Emtrac Plus batteries
July 15, 2020, 12:02 PM
With
the community quarantine still in effect in many parts of the country, more and
more businesses are now relying on trucking services to fulfill their
customers’ needs.
To meet the growing demand for reliable and cost-effective vehicles, services and parts, Autokid Truck Solutions has partnered with Emtrac Plus Philippines to provide quality and affordable automotive batteries for vehicles of all sizes.
To meet the growing demand for reliable and cost-effective vehicles, services and parts, Autokid Truck Solutions has partnered with Emtrac Plus Philippines to provide quality and affordable automotive batteries for vehicles of all sizes.
Kenya
wildlife reserves threatened as tourists stay away
July 13, 2020, 02:47 PM
In
the majestic plains of the Maasai Mara, the coronavirus pandemic spells
economic disaster for locals who earn a living from tourists coming to see
Kenya’s abundant wildlife.
Even before the virus arrived in Kenya mid-March, tourism revenues had plummeted, with cancellations coming in from crucial markets such as China, Europe and the United States.
According to the tourism ministry, the sector has lost $750 million this year — roughly half of the total revenue in 2019.
Even before the virus arrived in Kenya mid-March, tourism revenues had plummeted, with cancellations coming in from crucial markets such as China, Europe and the United States.
According to the tourism ministry, the sector has lost $750 million this year — roughly half of the total revenue in 2019.
DA
distributes feeds, vet drugs for ASF rehab program in Region 1
July 13, 2020, 02:00 PM
SAN
FERNANDO CITY, La Union – – The Department of Agriculture (DA) in Region 1
through its regulatory division had distributed feeds and veterinary drugs to
comply with a component of the African Swine Fever (ASF) Rehabilitation Plan to
ASF affected farmers in the towns of Mapandan and Calasiao, both in Pangasinan.
“The DA has allocated recovery fund to regain the losses of livestock raisers affected by the ASF. Among the distributed rehab assistance are cattles and to ensure good health of the animals, additional feeds and drugs/supplements were likewise provided,”said DA regulatory chief, Dr. Florentino Adame.
“The DA has allocated recovery fund to regain the losses of livestock raisers affected by the ASF. Among the distributed rehab assistance are cattles and to ensure good health of the animals, additional feeds and drugs/supplements were likewise provided,”said DA regulatory chief, Dr. Florentino Adame.
Targeting the Daily Magnesium
“Rhythm” Could Increase Crop Yield
NEWS Jul
13, 2020 | Original
story from Okayama University.
Credit:
Pixabay.
Read
Time: 3 min
But in practice, and especially at this point in biological history, this process is not so straightforward. The human population is growing at an unprecedented rate; the resources we have are not enough to feed the billions of people on earth today. While policymakers and politicians are trying to optimize the use of existing resources, scientists are doing their bit by figuring out how to improve the resources by exploring whether the natural process of photosynthesis can be modified through the latest technologies to ultimately improve the yield of food crops.
A team of scientists led by Prof Jian Feng Ma from Okayama University, Japan, and Prof Zhichang Chen from Fujian A & F University, China, also set out to explore photosynthesis, but they decided to do this with a twist: while current research predominantly focuses on trying to modify the direct chemical reactions involved in photosynthesis, the team decided to look at the "diel" variations--or the variations that occur over a periodic cycle of 24 hours--in photosynthesis.
That many processes of photosynthesis exhibit 24-hour variations shouldn't come as a surprise, given that the entire process is dependent on sunlight. Apart from external light-dark conditions, these diel changes can also be driven by internal genetic mechanisms.
But what exactly did these scientists look at? "Our study focused on magnesium, and for a diverse set of reasons," explains Prof Ma. "Magnesium is an essential macronutrient for plants, but around 15-35% of total magnesium intake is allocated to chloroplasts, where it functions not only as a structural element of chlorophyll but also as an activator for a number of photosynthetic enzymes." This meant that studying the diel changes in magnesium can shed light on an important functional aspect, and potential target for manipulation, of photosynthesis.
Through gene studies in the rice plant (the results of which are published in Nature Plants), the researchers decided to narrow in on a magnesium ion transporter OsMGT3, found in chloroplasts, and are known to be rhythmically expressed in "mesophyll" cells, the cells specialized for photosynthesis.
They created genetically modified rice plants in which the gene that gives rise to OsMGT3 was absent; they found that these plants showed significantly reduced uptake of magnesium and reduced amplitude of free magnesium ion fluctuations in chloroplasts. This resulted in a decrease in the activity of "ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase," a fundamental enzyme of photosynthesis, naturally leading to a decline in the photosynthetic rate. Next, through genetic engineering techniques, they caused the excessive production of OsMGT3 in mesophyll cells in normal rice plants and found that the photosynthetic efficiency and growth improved in these plants.
These experiments proved that OsMGT3 partially controls the magnesium fluctuations in chloroplasts, and that these fluctuations may contribute to magnesium-dependent enzyme activities for photosynthesis over the daily cycle.
So where does this leave us in terms of optimizing crop yield and feeding the masses? Prof Ma states that the findings open up hitherto unexplored avenues, remarking, "Our studies put magnesium in the limelight. Modifying the magnesium input into chloroplasts could be a potential approach to improving photosynthetic efficiency in plants and can eventually improve crop yield."
This study, along with future studies that would demonstrate how exactly magnesium should be targeted, could be a potential answer to the global food shortage.
Reference
Li, J., Yokosho, K., Liu, S. et al. Diel magnesium fluctuations in chloroplasts contribute to photosynthesis in rice. Nat. Plants 6, 848–859 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-020-0686-3.
This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.
Chemists have shown that asphalt binder, the glue that holds
together the stones, sand and gravel in paved roads, when exposed to sun and
water, leaches thousands of potentially toxic compounds into the environment.
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The constraints of rice production and
processing in Nigeria | By Ogungbile Emmanuel Oludotun
Today in Nigeria, if I’m
right, a 50 kg bag of rice can cost as much as 24,000 naira in Lagos – nearly
double the price in July last year before the borders were shut and not far
below the monthly minimum wage of 30,000 naira. Hence, consumers, who already
spend more than half their income on food according to the World Bank, are
feeling the squeeze.
Again, the question is are we not going to
get to a point where people who are buying rice can’t afford to buy rice, and
perhaps look at other alternatives to get energy and get food on their table?
Who will ease the length of this ‘colic’ from the suffering masses? The answer
I may not know.
Evidently, Nigeria is the most populous
country in Africa, with a population of over 130 million people. Food
Agriculture and Organisation (FAO) attested that Its domestic economy is
dominated by agriculture, which accounts for about 40% of the Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) and two-thirds of the labour force.
Agriculture supplies food, raw materials
and generates household income for the majority of the people. Again, it’s
ostentative that the external sector is dominated by petroleum, which generates
about 95% of Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings while agriculture contributes
less than 5%. Incessant reports has always shown that trade imports are
dominated by capital foods, raw materials and food. Nigeria is currently
preoccupied with the challenge of diversifying the structure of its economy.
True, Nigeria is the continent’s leading
consumer of rice, one of the largest producers of rice in Africa and
simultaneously one of the largest rice importers in the world. As well as an
important food security crop, it is an essential cash crop for it is mainly
small-scale producers who commonly sell 80 per cent of total production and
consume only 20 per cent.
Rice generates more income for Nigerian
farmers than any other cash crop in the country. In 2008, reports accounted
that Nigeria produced approximately 2 million MT of milled rice and imported
roughly 3 million metric tons, including the estimated 800,000 metric tons that
is suspected to enter the country illegally on an annual basis.
Today, we can confidently say that rice is
an increasingly consequential crop in Nigeria. It is passably simple to produce
and is grown for home and sale consumption. In some areas like the South west
and the North there is a long tradition of rice growing, but for many, rice has
been considered a luxury food for special occasions only. With the increased
availability of rice, it has become an everyday diet of many average Nigerians.
Undisputable research has unfurled that there are many varieties of rice
grown in Nigeria. Some of these are considered conventional varieties, others
have been introduced within the last twenty years. Substantially, rice is grown
in paddies or on upland fields, depending on the requirements of the particular
variety; there is limited mangrove cultivation.
New varieties are produced and disseminated
by research institutes or are imported from Asia. Further studied also averred
that the spread of these strains is determined by their perceived success, and
farmers multiply seed for their own plots when they see a variety doing well in
someone else’s field, or if a variety is fetching a good price in the market.
It seems also that strong political factors
affect the dissemination of varieties; the most striking example of this is a
rice called “China”, imported to Nigeria around twenty years ago by a
political figure and now grown everywhere despite the fact that seed trials
carried out by NCRI declared it unsatisfactory.
Before we dive further, it is necessary to
assert that Rice (Oryza sativa) is a cereal belonging to the Gramineae, a large
monocotyledonous family of some 600 genera and around 10,000 species. It is
valued as the most important staple food for over half of the world population
and ranks third after wheat and maize in production on a world basis. More than
half of the world’s population depends on rice as the major source of calories.
The amount consumed by all these people
ranged from 100kg to 240kg per annum in the year 2000 alone. Two species have
emerged as our most popular cultivated rice, Oryza sativa and Oryza glaberrima;
of these two species, the more widely produced is Oryza sativa.
According to the World bank, a combination
of various factors seems to have triggered the structural increase in rice
consumption. Like elsewhere in West Africa, urbanization appears to be the most
important cause of the shift in consumer preferences towards rice in Nigeria.
Rice is easy to prepare compared to other traditional cereals, thereby reducing
the chore of food preparation and fitting more easily in the urban lifestyles
of rich and poor alike.
Rice indeed is no longer a luxury food in
Nigeria and has become a major source of calories for the urban poor. For
example, the poorest third of urban households obtain 33% of their cereal-based
calories from rice, and rice purchases represent a major component of cash
expenditures on cereals. Rice availability and prices have become a major
welfare determinant for the poorest segments of the countries’ consumers who
also are the least food secure.
Thus, rice has, become a strategic
commodity in the Nigerian economy. Wherefore, the Nigerian government has
interfered in the rice sector over the past few decades. Public policy in this
respect has neither been consistent nor appropriate and domestic production has
continued to lag behind demand. Given the current globalisation trend and an
increasingly competitive world economy, Nigeria faces some strategic choices in
relation to the rice economy.
Now, in a brief into rice processing by
farmers, Agricultural field report showed that the fields cannot be ploughed
until after the first rain, generally in May or June. During the oil boom many
farmers had access to tractors, but most now undertake all land preparation and
harvesting by hand. Generally, tasks are allocated along gender lines, but in
some areas men and women work together. It was observed that women are
typically responsible for the transplanting of seedlings to the fields and
threshing, whilst it is often the men who hoe.
Most farmers produce one rice crop each
year, but some have made irrigation channels which allow them to reap two or
even three harvests in the year. This allows them to plant seedlings when there
is less danger from disease or pests. At the same time, frequent planting
exhausts the soil more quickly and, as fertilisers are expensive, many farmers
are noticing the falling productivity of the soil.
Fertilisers and herbicides are expensive,
and rice is favoured as a crop because it needs fewer inputs than maize. Some
farmers use organic fertilisers, including a method of green manuring by which
grass is allowed to grow and is then ploughed back into the soil. The use of
organic fertilisers, though, is time-consuming, and is not widespread; many
farmers resign themselves to buying fertilisers which they consider to be too
expensive.
It’s necessary to know that rice processing involves several steps:
removal of the husks, milling the shelled rice to remove the bran layer. and an
additional whitening step to meet market expectations for appearance of the
rice kernels. This process generated several streams of material which include
the husks, the bran, and the milled rice kernel.
Consequently, according to a journal of
food processing by Ladoke Akintola University, it averred that in Nigeria, rice
consumption has risen tremendously at about 10% per annum due to changing
consumer preferences. However, discovered that most Nigerians prefer to consume
imported rice brands as compared to local rice varieties. The reason is that
most Nigerian rice process or slack adequate technology of rice processing to
meet international standard.
Again, Nigeria has the potential to be
self-sufficient in rice production, both for food and industrial raw material
needs and for export purpose. However, a number of constraints have been
identified as limiting factors to rice production. These include problems with
research, pest and disease management. Addressing at least most of these problems
is good first step towards attaining the target of rice self-sufficiency.
Therefore a major objective of this piece is to review the challenges facing
rice production in Nigeria and provide guide to overcome these problems.
Now, one of the major quagmire encountered
by farmers in rice production cuts across the value chain. Howbeit, the most
outstanding challenge is the finance for rice farming. In every segment of the
rice production process, it has been observed that finance played a significant
role in the development of rice processing in Nigeria, has government do little
or nothing in rendering help to the Nigerian farmers.
According to a study, ‘Rice Production and
Processing in Ogun State, Nigeria: Qualitative Insights from Farmers’ Association’
it opened that majority of the rice farmers are aged above 50, and they serve
as the major source of labour as most of the young working population prefer
white-collar jobs.
Consequently, the cost of farm labour has
become very expensive making it very difficult for an individual farmer to
hire. Hence, before any farmer can carry out rice production beyond the
subsistence level, there will be a need for financial support from the
government, private investors, individuals, agric-scientist and non-governmental
organisations (NGOs). For instance, the government could assist the farmers by
procuring group of interested farmers at a reduced cost to facilitate farm
mechanisation and commercial production. Thus, clusters of rice farmers could
afford to hire these tractors to clear large hectares of land.
Again, according to FAO, the world rice
production for over almost a decade (2003–2012). In 2003, about 580 million
tons of rice were produced worldwide, 602 million tons in 2004, 620 million
tons in 2005, and 622 million tons in 2006. The production continued to grow
yearly; by 2007, the production had risen to 648 million tons.
The production reached a peak in 2011 with
a total production of 720 million tons in order to feed the increasing global
population. Furthermore, the world’s annual production growth rate was
stagnated in 2012. A review article in the journal of food processing suggested
that the reason could be attributed to natural disaster such as storm, tornado,
and unfavourable climate as reported by.
Furthermore, reported that instant low
temperature below the critical point can affect seedling establishment in the
early growth stage and high grain sterility he late crop season. Unavailability
of water has impeded farmers from growing rice in the southern part of
California and in Southern Italy, even though these areas are more favourable
in terms of climate for growing rice than the northern parts of the countries.
Asia accounts for 90% of the world’s production and consumption of rice because
of its favourable warm and humid climate, but suitable lands for increasing
rice production are almost exhausted, and even in Nigeria what is this case?
The problem of land development is another
pickle that arises because most of the farmlands for rice cultivation are
usually located in the rainforest, especially areas that have not been used for
rice cultivation previously. In a March 2018 study of researchers from Covenant
University affirmed that, given the nature of vegetation, intended lands for
rice cultivation will require a great number of labour inputs to clear a large
expanse of land particularly when it is not mechanised.
However, to effectively clear such forest
zones for rice cultivation, there will need to hire tractors which could be
highly exorbitant; hence, may not be within the reach of an average rice
farmer. Apart from the challenge in hiring tractors, the interview revealed
that rice seed germinates within the topsoil where the rice roots absorb soil
nutrients; hence, most of the nutrients needed for rice growth are supplied
from the surface soil.
This further entails that the tractor operation during land preparation
should be carried out with some care with a view not to removing the surface
soil that houses the essential nutrients, which is crucial for effective rice
production. However, it is observed that there are instances whereby the soil
nutrients are eroded from the surface soil during tractor operation in the land
preparation process which eventually affects the supply of nutrients to the
crops.
Furthermore, a 2012 book on ‘Agricultural
Transformation Agenda: Repositioning Agriculture to Drive Nigeria’s Economy.
Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’ laid out that the farm
inputs refer to the availability of farm raw materials required for the rice
production. Most important in this aspect is the ability of the farmers to have
access to the right variety of rice seed that is suitable for that particular
ecology.
Secondly, studies from a piece ‘Support for
Small Rice Threshers in Nigeria opined the issue of genuine herbicides for
effective treatment of weeds is a real challenge at the rice production stage.
This owes to the fact that some of the herbicides are now becoming adulterated.
This makes it difficult to distinguish between the original and fake herbicides.
To access new improved varieties that are suitable for a particular ecology
requires a huge sum of money which could highly expensive for an average farmer
to afford. However, the government is yet to meet up with the demand of
procuring these varieties and making it available to the farmers at a
subsidised rate as a means of assisting the local farmers in boosting rice
production.
Further deeper, a study and survey
conducted into the rice processing in Ogun state in 2018 stated that most of
the production processes that are connected to rice production in Ogun State
still make use of traditional method approach. The process starting from land
cultivation to harvesting and processing are mostly done with manual labour,
thus making the production process labour intensive. From KII, it was learnt
that on the average a farmer needs a total of 10 workers to work on a hectare
of land from cultivation to the harvesting stage.
Despite the fact that some of these
farmworkers are family members, the cost of hiring farm labourers poses a
significant constraint to rice production in Nigeria. The labour-intensive
method of rice farming is not only tedious but time-consuming and at the end,
the farmers only produce at the subsistence levels and in few cases where there
is excess it is sold at the local markets. The un-mechanised method (which is
also referred to as no or low tractorisation) of rice production does not allow
for production in commercial quantities that could be harvested, processed and
marketed to reach wider consumers.
According to a study, another factor
militating against rice production and processing in Nigeria is that the
inadequate knowledge on the use of herbicides and pesticide, which shall make
us dive into another major challenge associated with the production stage as
highlighted in the fieldwork is the issue of bird infestation, which is quite
problematic at the period of maturity of the rice grains in the field. An
infield study showed that the farmers interviewed explained that rice farmers
need to scare the birds for at least 30 days prior to the maturity of the rice
grains.
The challenging aspect of it is that the
farmer or the person employed for this job will have to be in the farm early in
the morning about 6.00 am before the birds wake up to stay on the farm till in
the evening around 7.00 pm after the birds have gone to sleep. Hence, the
farmer has to be in the farm before the waking up of the birds and remain there
till evening when the birds go to sleep with routine process of blowing a
whistle or beating a kind of drum to raise sufficient noise that will drive
away the birds.
Once more, we can go on and on to discuss
into the different constraints, and iterate the labour intensity involved such
as ploughing, planting, weeding, harvesting, threshing, and transportation
being strenuous and laborious; the problem is worsened by lack of appropriate
rice farming tools, implementation, and equipment. We can also go on to
highlight the problem of linkages relates with the marketing and distribution
networks challenges, which is the rice economy.
Savants have agreed that there is a need to
link the rice farmers with the markets for demands of their produce. In the
interview works of some Agric researchers with the farmers, they discovered
that the price of the rice products does not reflect their real value. In this
case, the farmers are at a loss. This occurs in instances where the produced
and packaged rice is being sold below the real value probably because the
farmers are in dire need of finance to solve some other problems and will have
no other option than to sell the rice at a price which is below what it would
have been sold under normal circumstances.
Today, however, it’s not strange that in
August last year, Nigeria went a step further and closed its land borders
altogether to stamp out smuggling, often from neighbouring Benin, with rice
being one of the main targets. Then, the presidency through the Buhari’s
spokesman, Garba Shehu, said the measures boosted rice production to 9.2
million tonnes last year from 7.2 million in 2015, making Nigeria more or less
self-sufficient, though traders can import rice through ports if they pay the
tariffs.
Agricultural data specialist Gro
Intelligence, however, put Nigeria’s rice output at 4.9 million tonnes in 2019,
up 60% from 2013 but well below local consumption of 7 million tonnes.
Furthermore, The U.S. Department of Agriculture, meanwhile, expects Nigeria’s
2020 rice imports to rise 9% to 2.4 million tonnes, in part due to the high
cost of unprocessed Nigerian paddy rice and elevated operating costs at mills.
In Lagos, Nigeria’s biggest city, supermarket shelves remain stocked with a
plethora of imported rice brands. Isn’t this a challenge already?
Having highlighted into constraints of rice
processing and production it’s necessary to discuss the solutions that might
ease the situation. Hence, as suggested by the early referred outcome of the
study conducted on rice production and processing in Ogun State, Nigeria:
Qualitative insights from farmers’ association, which opened that it’s germane
that additional support for the development of efficient rice seed varieties be
advocated, and that It is also essential that the distribution of rice
varieties that are resilient to climate changes be encouraged. Once more, the
promotion of good agricultural practices that will help to compensate for the
lapses rice production processes cannot be overemphasised in this regard.
Moreso, it’s quite ostentative that the
decision of the federal government to close the country’s land borders has
resulted to increased local rice production. The volume of rice produced
locally has soared to eight million metric tonnes with the federal government
aiming to achieve 18 million tonnes by 2023. Hence, this development can only
be sustained if farmers are motivated towards increasing yield per hectares
across the federation to meet the Agricultural Policy Programme, as this would
ensure food security and increase agro-export to boost the nation’s Gross
Domestic Product (GDP).
Without much ado, reports have it that
Nigeria has about 12 million rice farmers, and the number is expected to keep
growing. Global rice consumption remains strong. It is driven by both
population and economic growth in many Asian and African countries, as Nigerian
rice value chain is characterised by yields that are far below what would be
possible with improved management, improved market information and structure,
and updated rice-processing capacity.
The Nigeria government can also consolidate
on the achievement as the World rice production statistics revealed that in
2018, out of the 14.6 million metric tonnes of paddy produced annually on 7.3
million hectares of land in Africa, Nigeria’s production rose from 3.7 million
tonnes in 2017 to 4.0 million metric tonnes. Through the anchor borrower’s
scheme, reports on rice production in Nigeria said it has hit eight million
metric tonnes, with the nation aiming at 18 million tonnes by 2023.
According to Cyril Okonkwo, a rice seller
at Mile 12 market, Lagos, although the margin of profit between foreign to
Nigerian rice is still high, it is pertinent that the nation supports homegrown
rice producers to encourage local farmers in various states. The government can
also aid farmers, according to Rice Almanac, a publication of Global Rice
Science Partnership (GRiSP), Policies and conditions that offer opportunities
for developing the rice sector in the country, includes zero tariffs on
agricultural machinery and equipment, a large domestic market for rice products
and by-products, government subsidies on fertilizer, seed, and tractors and
implements, and guaranteed minimum price support for farmers.
Still on, as the method of rice cultivation
and harvesting mostly relied on labour-intensive approach at the subsistence
level in addition to low level of Agricultural extension agencies. An
alternative, however, to encourage farmers to increase their production
base is through agricultural extension services. Therefore, for the rice
farmers to operate at the mechanised level of rice production government
support is earnestly advocated for.
In conclusion, Nigeria has a good climate
for rice production and it has the favourable market to absorb the production,
and one cannot exhaust out all the solutions to the problems of rice processing
and production in Nigeria. Thus, there is an urgent need for all stakeholders
connected with agricultural productivity to work in synergy in the
cross-fertilisation of ideas on the current challenges and prospects of rice
production and processing techniques that will enhance rice security and other
food security policy measures.
It’s wherefore consequential for
government, non-governmental organisations and private investors and
stakeholders in the provision of financial assistance, agricultural grants,
subsidy and accessible credit facilities in support of rice production and
processing among the rice-producing states in Nigeria. We can make an economy
out of rice processing and production.
Ogungbile Emmanuel Oludotun
University of Ibadan
Qwenu! publishes
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‘Access to finance remains a challenge to agribusiness’ -
Nigeria's The Abadini Group
13 JUL 2020
NEWS
THE NATION
Published
13 Jul,2020 via The Nation - Chief
Executive Officer and Founder, The Abadini Group, Mr. Abraham Adonduwa is an
emerging leader in the agric-economy with more than 200 hectares under
cultivation. In this interview with Deputy Group Business Editor, Taofik
Salako, Adonduwa speaks on the challenges and prospects of the Nigerian
agricultural agenda among other issues
What is
the prospect of agribusiness in Nigeria?
I think the future of agribusiness is very
bright. Nigerians are obviously becoming more appreciative of the need for the
country to achieve food sufficiency and reduce our current reliance on imported
food items.
Besides the fact that our economy desperately
needs this focus on agriculture in order to grow, we also should be mindful of
the harmful effects of the preservatives used on these imported food to
increase their shelf life.
So, when you look at all the metrics-
population, food demand and health, everything points to continuing and
increasing relevance of agribusiness to Nigerian economy.
What are
the incentives needed for the success of the agric-centred growth agenda of
government?
We have seen commendable focus on
agribusiness by the government in recent years. But I think government needs to
do more given the importance of agriculture to the national economy and
government’s agenda of job creation.
I think agribusiness industry needs more
incentives including tax waivers, single-digit loans with reasonable tenors,
and a massive patronage of made in Nigeria products, amongst others.
What are
the challenges facing agribusiness?
The main challenges are access to finance,
insecurity and lack of human capital. There are other challenges like
unfavourable government policies but so far the current administration has been
fair to the agribusiness sector.
How
sustainable is the rice domestication policy of government?
We can testify that the policy has spurred
Nigerians to action. Abadini is a typical example as are a couple of other
brands currently changing the narratives of rice farming and production in
Nigeria. We hope the favourable policies and government support will continue
even after the 2023 elections.
What’s
your experience in the area of access to finance?
The government still has a lot of work to do
in this regard. Right now it is rather difficult to obtain funds from a bank
even after meeting its stringent conditions and even though the Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN) mandated banks to increase their loan to deposit ratio.
The CBN’s Anchor Borrowers’ Programme under
the amiable, committed and unassuming Central Bank Governor, Mr. Godwin
Emefiele is highly commendable.
For the first time we witnessed a government
that is committed to alleviating the suffering of Nigerian farmers through
palliative measures and incentives.
Without doubt, it has boosted the
agricultural sector as more people have shown interest to go into far mining or
many people have seen farming as a viable venture.
Back to your question, we are yet to enjoy
any form of support from the government but we are hopeful that the government
will recognise our efforts and partner with us.
What’s
the vision of Abadini and what strategies have you put in place to achieve
this?
Abadini’s vision is unique because our major
driving factor is achieving food sufficiency by providing locally produced and
healthy food products for every Nigerian home.
Subsequently, we will set our sight on
exports because by so doing we will not only create more wealth and empower
people but also earn much-needed foreign exchange required to catapult our
economy from what it is today to what it should rightly be as the giant of
Africa that we are.
Abadini will become the pride of the giant of
Africa and the best news is the fact that we are a youth-driven company. Having
said that, we have put in place strategies that will help in pushing our
vision.
We recognise that the market opportunity for
our products is beyond our imagination and current situation; rice, maize,
housing-which encompasses our block industries and housing projects, processed
and packaged meat-including but not limited to pork, beef, chicken, turkey,
fish and animal rearing including pigs, chicken, goats, cows and sheep.
We believe that with substantial growth capital
we can decisively claim market leadership and substantially expand the market
potentials for the company.
We also take very seriously the nascent
logistics arm of the group, whose sole focus is to ensure quick deliveries
while reducing our current costs of nationwide deliveries and ensuring that we
can sustain cost effective prices and maintain a competitive edge.
Currently, our fleet of delivery vehicles
stands at six with a view to expanding to meet nationwide demands. Our online
presence with Abadini Agritech promises a huge opportunity to expand our
markets around the globe.
The Abadini Group is proudly Nigerian: young,
vibrant and burning with ideas and a drive to cater to 200 million Nigerians
locally and a global market that is growing rapidly and brimming with
opportunities.
Two years ago, we began on a five hectares of
farmland and proceeded to process with locally manufactured machines and bagged
in poorly made woven sacks.
The result, our sacks had a brand name that
peeled off and the rice was unclean and packed with stones. But, we completely
sold out in two weeks! This was all the impetus we needed to fuel our drive to
succeed.
Now we have a brand new complete rice milling
line with 40 tons per day capacity. We also expect to increase our production
capacity to 130 tons per day.
Our inaugural brand; Abadini Rice, is very
well received in several markets with demand growing exponentially. We can now
aim to inspire the world by showing that it is possible to offer excellent
customer service, achieve excellence in design, production, branding and
delivery while impacting the lives of employees, investors, distributors and
indeed the entire Nigerian community and beyond.
We operate 200 hectares of farmlands in Benue
State and we have currently set up livestock ranches in Benue and Abuja. Our
multi-million naira rice factory, which is second only to the State Governor’s
rice factory, is located at the heart of the industrial layout in Makurdi,
where we provide jobs for scores of indigenes and residents.
A grand commissioning of this factory will be
organised at the earliest possible date and well publicised. We have warehouses
in Lagos and Port Harcourt, from where we are rapidly penetrating the markets,
supermarkets and having easy and direct access to consumers.
Do you
consider risks of policy somersaults by government, for instance liberalisation
of the rice business and allowing importers to import?
I am confident that would not happen under
the current dispensation. However, Abadini is the preferred brand because we
can compete with any foreign brand anywhere in the world.
I said this because there is a claim by the
Federal Government that the country produces 150,000 bags daily. For me, the
Federal Government alone is in the best position to confirm or deny this.
And if the claim is true, it is a plus for us
as a country considering the amount being spent on rice importation yearly.
We all know that home grown companies will
not only provide jobs for the youth, it will also strengthen our local economy.
What are
the opportunities and challenges of Africa Free Trade Continental Agreement?
The opportunities far outweigh the challenges
in my opinion. Imagine a unified Africa like we have the United States of
America. Imagine free trade between sister countries.
Imagine retaining vital resources within the
African Continent. Imagine how much that would mean to our collective
economies.
But, as an entrepreneur, I am an avid
idealist who also tries to always remain grounded. So, in as much as the
prospect of an Africa without borders excites me immensely, I am reminded daily
of the human factor issue which continues to dog our daily existence amongst
other issues.
I am reminded that the task ahead is beyond
daunting. However, this is an ideal that I hope to see in my lifetime. One that
I strongly believe is the key to Africa taking her rightful place as a nation
of great people, as leaders of the world.
This is why I am leading a company that is
investing in the youth population; so that we can lead the rest of Africa, so
that we can unite and conquer the world together, and so that we can shape the
future today.
Who are
the investors in Abadini?
Abadini is a privately held company with
board of directors who are helping to drive the mission and vision of the
organisation. Again, I am happy to say that 99 per cent of us are less than 40
years.
We also have an experienced hand in S.
Adondua, a member of the board and shareholder. He is a seasoned Chemical
Engineer with over 35 years working experience.
He serves in advisory capacity and offers
guidance and assistance, bringing his wealth of experience and vast network to
bear.
Also, we have investment categories which
allow an ordinary Nigerian to invest. You may call it ‘Abadini Investment
Inclusion’ in the sense that we have a programme called Abadini Growers’
Programme whereby an investors can sponsor a unit with N250,000 at 25 per cent
return on investment (Rol) in eight months or invest in 50 units and above and
get 27 per cent (Rol).
You may wonder why the healthy returns. It is
simple. At competitive interest rates, you can invest and get your money back
including interest within the shortest possible time. You can also choose to
revolve your capital and interest for another cycle.
Payback period is within six to eight months,
depending on the farm type, you can grow your investments from seeds to trees.
As said earlier, with as low as N50,000 you
can be an investor and watch your money work while you sleep. Investments are
risky by nature, but we’ve gone an extra mile to ensure your investments are
100 per cent insured and backed up by reputable and experienced insurance
providers.
How to grow rice
SATURDAY
JULY 11 2020
A
farmer will be able to earn about Shs10m from one acre if they follow the best
agronomy practices. File photo
· Paddy rice cultivation is done under varied climatic conditions
and soil types ranging from loamy to black cotton soil, but a lot of water is
needed for irrigation.
· The study further shows that with climate change, there are many
rice farms that are being abandoned in the respective countries due to high
salinity levels in the soils as well as pest and disease burden.
Rice farming is considered as one of the strategic
agricultural enterprises with the potential to contribute to increasing rural
incomes and livelihoods and improving food and nutrition security.
However, current rice yields in the country are still low, a
situation partly attributed to the fact that farmers hardly use best agronomy
practice or effects of climate change to realise good harvest.
Agricultural experts at the African Agricultural Technology
Foundation (AATF) based in Nairobi, Kenya attribute poor yields to poor farm
management practices and effects of climate change.
One of the reasons is because most farmers are still relying
on rain fed farming system, use of saved seed for subsequent production, lack
of machinery to support quality processing for commercialisation and low use of
fertilisers.
The study further shows that with climate change, there are
many rice farms that are being abandoned in the respective countries due to
high salinity levels in the soils as well as pest and disease burden.
The experts realised that abiotic constraints associated with soil nutrient depletion and water availability contribute significantly to low rice productivity in the three countries.
The experts realised that abiotic constraints associated with soil nutrient depletion and water availability contribute significantly to low rice productivity in the three countries.
The survey shows that only 9 per cent and 10 per cent of
sampled rice producing communities in Nigeria and Uganda respectively practiced
exclusive irrigated rice farming.
·
Grow your plants without
soil
Why intruder alarm is the
best security guard
Farmer experience
Ambassador Phillip Idro is a rice grower and processor. His rice processing plant Upland Rice Millers located in Jinja has milling capacity of 100 metric tonnes per day but he is unable to meet this target because there is limited rice production in the country.
Ambassador Phillip Idro is a rice grower and processor. His rice processing plant Upland Rice Millers located in Jinja has milling capacity of 100 metric tonnes per day but he is unable to meet this target because there is limited rice production in the country.
To him this is because farmers are taking their time to
learn new methods of growing the crop.
“Most farmers in Uganda are satisfied when they produce one acre rice worth Shs1m and yet if more effort is put in place to adopt high yielding varieties and application of best agronomy practice, the yield can increase and a farmer will be able to earn Shs10m from an acre,” says Idro.
“Most farmers in Uganda are satisfied when they produce one acre rice worth Shs1m and yet if more effort is put in place to adopt high yielding varieties and application of best agronomy practice, the yield can increase and a farmer will be able to earn Shs10m from an acre,” says Idro.
What farmers can do to increase yields
Speaking to Simon Alibu, a scientist majoring in rice breeding at the National Crop Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI); this is what he advises farmers to do as they go about with daily routine work of growing rice.
Speaking to Simon Alibu, a scientist majoring in rice breeding at the National Crop Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI); this is what he advises farmers to do as they go about with daily routine work of growing rice.
Land preparation
Alibu explained that before rice can be planted, the soil should be in the best physical condition for crop growth.
Farmers are expected to till land in time, about one month before the rains start. Ploughing and harrowing is done twice before planting seeds.
Alibu explained that before rice can be planted, the soil should be in the best physical condition for crop growth.
Farmers are expected to till land in time, about one month before the rains start. Ploughing and harrowing is done twice before planting seeds.
Traditional method of tilling using hoe and ox plough or
modern method of using tractors particularly for large scale farmers owning
huge acres of land is recommendable.
Alibu narrates that farmers growing upland rice are expected to plant rice seed in rows with spacing of 1ft by 1ft.
Alibu narrates that farmers growing upland rice are expected to plant rice seed in rows with spacing of 1ft by 1ft.
Planting method
There are three methods of direct seed planting. They include broadcast method where farmers sow seed using hand, metallic drilling where a line is drilled using metallic fork measuring 30cm by 15cm. Seed is dropped into the drilled lines and covered and a farmer uses one kilogramme of seed in a 200 square mile land.
There are three methods of direct seed planting. They include broadcast method where farmers sow seed using hand, metallic drilling where a line is drilled using metallic fork measuring 30cm by 15cm. Seed is dropped into the drilled lines and covered and a farmer uses one kilogramme of seed in a 200 square mile land.
The third method is the dibbling or spot planting mainly
practiced along mountain slopes where ploughing is difficult.
Farmers use a metallic hook to make a hole comprising 30cm by 12.5 cm and in each hole seven seeds are dropped and covered with soil.
Farmers use a metallic hook to make a hole comprising 30cm by 12.5 cm and in each hole seven seeds are dropped and covered with soil.
Weeding
It takes a week for the seeds to germinate. After three weeks from germination farmers are advised to weed their farms. This is the time to apply the first round of fertiliser namely UREA and Diammonium phosphate (DAP) measuring 50 kilogrammes per hectare.
It is better to apply the fertilisers before weeding to allow the weeding process cause it to infiltrate to the soil.
It takes a week for the seeds to germinate. After three weeks from germination farmers are advised to weed their farms. This is the time to apply the first round of fertiliser namely UREA and Diammonium phosphate (DAP) measuring 50 kilogrammes per hectare.
It is better to apply the fertilisers before weeding to allow the weeding process cause it to infiltrate to the soil.
The second weeding is done after 50 – 60 days from planting.
Rice takes about 70 days to flower depending on the variety and farmers are
expected to start harvesting 40 to 50 days from the date of flowering.
Varieties
Most farmers in the country are growing Nerica rice varieties namely Nerica 1, 4 and 10 which is considered as old generation of rice.
Nerica 4 matures between 110 – 120 days with yield capacity of 4-5 tonnes per hectare and it is tolerant to drought.
Most farmers in the country are growing Nerica rice varieties namely Nerica 1, 4 and 10 which is considered as old generation of rice.
Nerica 4 matures between 110 – 120 days with yield capacity of 4-5 tonnes per hectare and it is tolerant to drought.
Nerica 2 and 5 are high yielding and it is mostly adopted
and grown by farmers in northern Uganda.
The seed does not break easily meaning there is less loss during processing. A farmer milling 100 kilogrammes of paddy seed is able to get 70 kilogrammes of processed rice.
The seed does not break easily meaning there is less loss during processing. A farmer milling 100 kilogrammes of paddy seed is able to get 70 kilogrammes of processed rice.
Nerica 1 matures between 105-115 days and the yield is
between three to four tonnes per hectare while Nerica 10 matures in a short
period of 100 -105 days with yield rate of three to four tonnes per hectare.
Nerica 6 is tolerant against Yellow Mortal Virus (YMV) and it matures in 130 – 140 days with yield potential of three to five tonnes per hectare.
Nerica 6 is tolerant against Yellow Mortal Virus (YMV) and it matures in 130 – 140 days with yield potential of three to five tonnes per hectare.
Wita 9 variety is high yielding and farmers can harvest five
to six tonnes per hectare with maturity period of 140 - 160 days. It is
resistant to YMV
Alibu and his breeding team at Namulonge in 2013 released upland varieties namely Namche1, 2, 3, and 4.
Namche 1 is widely adopted because it is early maturing taking 100 days to harvesting.
Alibu and his breeding team at Namulonge in 2013 released upland varieties namely Namche1, 2, 3, and 4.
Namche 1 is widely adopted because it is early maturing taking 100 days to harvesting.
Low land rice growing
Farmers engaged in growing lowland rice are expected to prepare nursery beds for raising seedlings.
A farmer is expected to heap soil of about one metre wide and sow seed in holes, cover the beds with grass and keep watering for germination to take place.
Farmers must have a good source of water and drainage which will channel water into the field. Seedlings are transplanted after raising them for three weeks.
Farmers engaged in growing lowland rice are expected to prepare nursery beds for raising seedlings.
A farmer is expected to heap soil of about one metre wide and sow seed in holes, cover the beds with grass and keep watering for germination to take place.
Farmers must have a good source of water and drainage which will channel water into the field. Seedlings are transplanted after raising them for three weeks.
At the nursery preparation, organic manure and fertiliser
should be added. The bed should be prepared in 30cm by 60cm trays. Construction
of water drainage channels is essential.
The farm for low land rice must be flat to enable even flow of water. The fertiliser is applied on the same day of transplanting.
The farm for low land rice must be flat to enable even flow of water. The fertiliser is applied on the same day of transplanting.
Usually weeds are not a problem in low land rice growing
because the water tends to kill the weeds.
Farmers are therefore expected to weed once and that is 50 days from planting. Second fertiliser application should be done after 80 days from date of planting.
Lowland rice takes about 140 to 150 days to mature and farmers grow it in one season.
Farmers are therefore expected to weed once and that is 50 days from planting. Second fertiliser application should be done after 80 days from date of planting.
Lowland rice takes about 140 to 150 days to mature and farmers grow it in one season.
The recommended varieties released by scientists from NaCRRI
include Wita9, Komboka, Agoro and Okile. Other traditional varieties are K85
and K98 commonly known as Kaiso and Super rice.
Wheat and rice yields
in Haryana could decline in just 15 years if temperature continues to rise:
Study
The yields
for wheat and rice in Haryana could decline in just 15 years if temperatures
continue to rise due to climate change, a study by Guru Jambheshwar University of Science
and Technology, Hisar has predicted.
Wheat
yield will decline by eight per cent and rice by 11 per cent if temperatures
continue to rise. By 2095, wheat yield will decline by 57 per cent and rice by
34 per cent.
For the
study, Haryana was divided into three climatic zones: dry sub-humid, semi-arid
and arid. The Marskim DSSAT weather generator meteorological data tool was used
for forecasting temperature and rainfall between 2010 and 2095.
The study
gave the examples of temperature increase in three districts – Ambala, Karnal
and Hisar – that belong to the three climatic zones as well as parallel
increase in rainfall between 2010 and 2095.
Haryana
ranks fourth in India in wheat cultivation and tenth in rice cultivation
according to the statistics of 2017.
Not only honey bees, native bees may also be facing a ‘pandemic’:
Scientists
A fungal
pathogen has been infecting bees around the world for at least two decades. And
scientists are calling it a pandemic.
The
unicellular pathogen Nosema causes the most common and widespread disease in
adult honey bees. It has been exclusively documented in European honeybee,
though it is also found in bees across Europe, Canada and Kenya. The pathogen
is impacting the native, solitary bees, the extent of which is unknown,
according to University of Colorado Boulder researchers.
The
results were published in the journal PLOS Pathogens.
The
information is crucial as solitary bees comprise a majority of the
approximately 20,000 bee species on the planet.
“More
work needs to be done to understand Nosema infections in native bee species and
the potential consequences to native ecosystems, if native bees suffer a
similar fate as honeybees when infected,” said Arthur Grupe, lead author
and researcher in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.
Related
Stories
The
different strains of Nosema — Nosema apis, Nosema
ceranae, Nosema bombi — are the most common strains to
cause infections in bees. Nosema ceranae causes
year-round infections in hives; so far, only Nosema bombi, which
infects bumblebees, has been documented in Colorado.
While N
apis was the only known unicellular honey bee pathogen until
1996, when the second species, N ceranae, was identified
from the Asian honey bee.
Reserachers
have underlined the need to better understand how these Nosema strains travel
through the globe and affect native, solitary bees.
The
strains could contribute to colony collapse, a phenomenon that occurs when the
majority of worker bees in a honey bee colony disappear, leaving behind a
queen, food, and a few nurse bees to care for the remaining immature bees.
Elephant found dead in Odisha’s Keonjhar, third within a month
The
carcass of a four-year-old male elephant was found in Odisha’s mineral-rich Keonjhar
district July 8, 2020. The carcass — the third elephant death in the district and the
fourth in the state in a month — was found in Choramalada forest under the
Barbil range.
The
elephant carcass was in a state of decay when it was found, something that
points to the death likely having occurred more than a week ago. Locals saw the
carcass in the forest and soon informed forest officials. A team of the
officials reached the spot and sent the carcass for an autopsy, after which it
was buried.
Forest
officials believe the dead elephant belonged to a herd of elephants roaming in
the area recently. An investigation into the death is underway, said Santosh
Joshi, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Keonjhar.
“Stern
action will be taken against those who will be found guilty,” he added.
Bhitarkanika: Man taken by estuarine croc in fatal attack
A
42-year-old man was missing, presumed dead, after being dragged into
a river by an estuarine crocodile in Odisha’s Bhitarkanika National Park on
July 7, 2020.
Ranjan
Mohanty, a milk supplier, was attacked in the morning while he was standing
near the bank of the crocodile-inhabited Bausagali river in Satabhaya village,
waiting to cross it and reach the nearby market at Gupti to supply milk.
“The
crocodile suddenly exploded out of the knee-length water, clamping its
vice-like jaws and pulled him in. Some villagers raised an alarm and tried
to save him. But it was futile,” Karunakar Behera, a boatman at the ghat
where Mohanty was standing, said.
“Forest
officials, fire brigade personnel and locals launched a search operation. The
man’s body is yet to be retrieved. The forest department will provide a
compensation amount of Rs 4 lakh to the family members of the victim after
due inquiry,” Bikash Ranjan Dash, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the
park, said.
After bats, do not make marmots into villains: Expert
Do not
make marmots the new villains after bats, an expert cautioned on July 7, 2020, even as reports
emerged of an outbreak of bubonic plague in Mongolia, China and the Russian Far
East.
“We
already have had the vilification of bats due to COVID-19. Please do not shift
your attention to marmots now,” Sabuj Bhattacharyya, a member of the Lagomorph
Specialist Group in Species Survival Commission (SSC), International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Switzerland.
Although
Bhattacharya is not an expert on rodents, the group that marmots belong to and
rather studies lagomorphs or members of the rabbit family, he has nevertheless
frequently come across marmots during his study of pikas, lagomorphs that share
marmot habitat.
Marmots
are essentially a type of squirrel and are found on the continents of Europe,
Asia and North America.
South
Asia or the Indian Subcontinent is home to the Himalayan Marmot as well as the
Long-tailed Marmot. The incidents of plague in Mongolia, China and the Russian
Far East have been caused largely after locals consumed the Tarbagan Marmot,
which is found in the region.
“Marmots
are eaten in China and Mongolia. High altitude regions lack proteins. Pastoral
nomads usually eat these during their days out on the steppe, when they do not
have any other means of sustenance. But I don’t know whether marmots are the
principal diet of people in the region,” Bhattacharya, said.
Marmots
are also hunted for their fur.
The
squirrels may have been mentioned in antiquity as well. According to one hypothesis,
the story of the “Gold-digging ant” reported by Herodotus in Ancient Greece,
originated with the Himalayan marmot, whose burrows would be dug by local
tribes to collect gold dust.
“Marmots
play a very important role in Himalayan ecology. They are prey species for
predators including the snow leopard, red fox, hawks, kestrels and eagles,”
Bhattacharyya said.
“Marmots
also eat plants. Every time they dig burrows, they increase aeration in the
soil that also increases nutrient circulation and helps different plants to
propagate. These are the ecosystem services that the marmots offer. If they are
eradicated, these services will stop,” he added.
12:00 AM, July 12, 2020 / LAST MODIFIED: 04:30 AM, July 12, 2020
Rice imports drop to four-decade low
Analysts point to
challenges to sustain increased production
Total
import was 4,180 tonnes in the last fiscal year, marking a 98 per cent slump
over the previous fiscal year, resulting from high import tariffs and adequate
domestic production, food ministry data showed.
Agricultural
analysts attributed the gain to rising production amid farmers' gradual shift
to improved varieties and replacement of older varieties by the newer ones. And
these were supported by favourable weather, better crop management and
subsidies aimed at keeping the prices of fertilizers affordable for growers.
Annual
rice output, which was less than 3 crore tonnes until the fiscal year 2007-08,
crossed the mark in the subsequent year. Since then, upward trajectory
continued except for the fiscal year 2016-17 when floods in the northeastern
haor region damaged crops.
Production
recovered a year later but encouraged by low import duty, private importers
brought in 38.90 lakh tonnes of the cereal in FY2017-18, the highest in nearly
three decades.
Total
yearly rice production stood at 3.64 crore tonnes in FY2018-19, posting a
marginal increase over the previous year. The production estimate for the last
fiscal year is yet to be made available by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
However,
the Food and Agriculture Organisation, in a report in May, said the country was
expected to have produced 3.87 crore tonnes of rice in FY2019-20. Bangladesh
consumes 3.2 crore tonnes of rice and 55 lakh tonnes of wheat annually, said
the UN agency in the report.
"No
doubt, Bangladesh has made tremendous progress in rice production and food
security," said Humnath Bhandari, the representative for Bangladesh at the
International Rice Research Institute, in an email reply recently.
"Rice
production this year has been excellent mainly due to favourable weather
conditions in boro and hoping good aman production (if no natural calamities)
as a result of a good price of rice and government efforts to increase rice
production."
Farmers
have been producing a higher amount of rice than the country's annual
requirement for the last several years.
"As
a result, the country sees carryover stock every year," said Md Shahjahan
Kabir, director-general of the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute.
Rice
production has grown by 600,000 tonnes annually since 2009 and the amount was
higher than the annual increase in demand for rice by 3 lakh to 3.5 lakh tonnes
owing to population growth.
"There
is no need to think of import. We are producing more food than required,"
Kabir said.
Aromatic
rice used for festivals and at hotels and restaurants is mainly imported now.
Nearly
39 lakh tonnes of rice were imported in FY2018-19. There would have been no
problem had there been no import of the staple grain, said Agriculture
Secretary Md Nasiruzzaman.
"Figures
show that we are not only self-sufficient, but we also produced a large surplus
in FY2019-20," said Subash Dasgupta, a former senior technical officer of
the FAO.
"The
major burning issue in this production is making the system sustainable. As of
late, the current rice production system has become more unstable," he
said in an email reply.
Earlier,
he said, the major concern of production instability was associated with the
unpredictability of monsoon.
"However,
in 2017, we witnessed production vulnerabilities in all three rice growing
seasons -- aus, aman and boro -- which pose alarming consequences," he
said.
"A
very important point to note is that the growth rate in rice production has
been decelerating."
For
example, Dasgupta said, rice productivity rose by 2.3 per cent per annum in the
first decade of the new millennium and slowed down to 0.87 per cent in the past
decade from 2011 to 2019.
A rice
self-sufficient country should have continuously increasing growth in rice
productivity, alongside a competitive and stable production system, Dasgupta
said.
Due to
the current coronavirus pandemic, a significant percentage of the population
will fall below the poverty line, resulting in increased rice consumption among
them.
According
to IRRI Representative Bhandari, there are challenges in future rice production
such as flood, drought, salinity, cold and heat.
Agriculture
Secretary Nasiruzzaman said the government has prepared a rice vision to
produce enough to meet the national requirement by 2050.
The
government targets to produce 5 crore tonnes of rice under the vision.
The
vision lays out ways how the country will increase production in line with the
population growth against the backdrop of a decline in farmland. "One of
the ways would be to improve yield by variety replacement," the secretary
said.
The
Rice Vision prepared by the BRRI in 2015 said the population of Bangladesh will
reach 21.54 crore in 2050 when 4.46 crore tonnes of rice will be required.
The
vision paper said several hurdles, such as increasing population, decreasing
resources and rising climate vulnerability, can stand in the way of achieving
the target.
Three
major interventions -- accelerating genetic gain, minimising yield gap and
curtailing adoption lag -- are proposed to break the barriers to achieve the
target.
Major
challenges facing the implementation of the interventions include shrinking net
cropped area, scarcity of water for irrigation and increasing pressure on soil
fertility, the paper said.
BRRI
DG Kabir said various improved varieties of rice have been released in recent
years. In-bred varieties capable of withstanding stresses such as drought,
flood and salinity have also been released. "We have several
draught-, flood- and salinity-tolerant rice seeds already in the field. We have
replacement varieties of mega varieties," he said, adding that the target
has been set to attain 25-30 lakh tonnes of surplus rice.
Global
Automatic Shelling Machine Market 2020 Trending vendors – Amisy Shelling
Machinery, Yung Soon Lih Food Machine, Defino& Giancaspro, TECNOCEAM, Nikko
July 12, 2020
The report on the Global Automatic Shelling Machine Market features
detailed insights and deep research. The report introduces the important factors
which driving the growth of the global Automatic Shelling Machine market,
untapped opportunities for the manufacturers, current trends, and developments
shaping the global Automatic Shelling Machine market and other factors across
various key segments.
In addition, report highlights the market drivers,
future opportunities and restraints which impacting the growth of the global
Automatic Shelling Machine market. Along with these, report also provides the
changing trends which are directly and indirectly influence the market are also
analyzed and incorporated in the report to gives the detailed information
related to the market which resulting for better decision making.
The study encompasses profiles of major companies operating in the
Automatic Shelling Machine Market. Key players profiled in the report includes:
Amisy Shelling Machinery
Yung Soon Lih Food Machine
Defino& Giancaspro
TECNOCEAM
Nikko
F. H. SCHULE Muehlenbau
MLT MINET LACING TECHNOLOGY
Kett
Spectrum Industries
MIA FOOD TECH
AMB ROUSSET
Buhler
Brovind – GBV Impianti
Amisy Shelling Machinery
Yung Soon Lih Food Machine
Defino& Giancaspro
TECNOCEAM
Nikko
F. H. SCHULE Muehlenbau
MLT MINET LACING TECHNOLOGY
Kett
Spectrum Industries
MIA FOOD TECH
AMB ROUSSET
Buhler
Brovind – GBV Impianti
Available Sample Report in PDF Version along with Graphs and
Figures@ https://www.innovateinsights.com/report/global-automatic-shelling-machine-market-2020-industry-analysis/254537/#requestsample
By the product type, the market is primarily split into:
Vertical Type Shelling Machine
Horizontal Type Shelling Machine
Vertical Type Shelling Machine
Horizontal Type Shelling Machine
By the end-users/application, this report covers the following
segments:
Rice Seed
Castor Seed
Other
Rice Seed
Castor Seed
Other
Market, By regions:
– North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico)
– Europe (U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Central & Eastern Europe, CIS)
– Asia Pacific (China, Japan, South Korea, ASEAN, India, Rest of Asia Pacific)
– Latin America (Brazil, Rest of L.A.)
– Middle East and Africa (Turkey, GCC, Rest of Middle East)
– North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico)
– Europe (U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Central & Eastern Europe, CIS)
– Asia Pacific (China, Japan, South Korea, ASEAN, India, Rest of Asia Pacific)
– Latin America (Brazil, Rest of L.A.)
– Middle East and Africa (Turkey, GCC, Rest of Middle East)
The Automatic Shelling Machine market report provides
the section which highlights country-wise demand for the Automatic Shelling
Machine and provides a market outlook. The report also analyses the new
technological developments as well as offerings for niche applications in the
global Automatic Shelling Machine market. In last section of the report, a
competitive landscape has been included to provide audiences with a dashboard
view.
In addition, report explores the detailed market share
analysis of the Automatic Shelling Machine market by considering the key
manufacturers. Detailed profiling of the manufacturers is also included along
with their business and growth strategies, key offerings and recent
developments in the global Automatic Shelling Machine market.
Do You Have Any Query or Specific Requirement? Ask to Our Industry
Expert@ https://www.innovateinsights.com/report/global-automatic-shelling-machine-market-2020-industry-analysis/254537/#buyinginquiry
Global Automatic Shelling Machine Market Report: Research
Methodology
Market analysis is obtained through in-depth secondary
research which is validated and verified by primary interviews. Every primary
research is analyzed and average market volume is deduced and reconfirmed prior
to incorporating in the report. The price of Automatic Shelling Machine is
calculated across all the assessed regions and weighted average price is also
considered. The market value of the global Automatic Shelling Machine market is
thus calculated from the data deduced from the average selling price and market
volume.
For future market growth, forecast of the global
Automatic Shelling Machine market, offers the various macroeconomic factors and
changing trends have been observed, based on which the future of the market is
predicted. Other important factors covered by report includes the size of the
current market, inputs from the supply side and the demand side and other
dynamics shaping the scenario of the market. Report forecasts are offered in terms
of CAGR, while other important criteria such as year-on-year growth and
absolute dollar opportunity have also been incorporated giving clear insights
and future opportunities.
Impact of Covid-19 in Automatic Shelling Machine Market
The utility-owned segment is mainly being driven by
increasing financial incentives and regulatory supports from the governments
globally. The current utility-owned Automatic Shelling Machine are affected
primarily by the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the projects in China, the US,
Germany, and South Korea are delayed, and the companies are facing short-term
operational issues due to supply chain constraints and lack of site access due
to the COVID-19 outbreak. Asia-Pacific is anticipated to get highly affected by
the spread of the COVID-19 due to the effect of the pandemic in China, Japan,
and India. China is the epic center of this lethal disease. China is a major
country in terms of the chemical industry.
Access Full Report, here: https://www.innovateinsights.com/report/global-automatic-shelling-machine-market-2020-industry-analysis/254537/
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Research shows that eggs help keep produce fresh
July 12, 2020 03:38 PM
Print
They say you
have to break a few eggs to make an omelet. Now you could say the same
action could help keep produce fresh.
Researchers
used eggs for the base of an inexpensive micron-thick coating that prolonged
the shelf life of strawberries, avocadoes, bananas and other fruit far beyond
that of untreated fruit, according to a news release from Rice University,
Houston.
Researchers
from Rice, Purdue University, the University Houston, Georgia Institute of
Technology and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.participated in
the project, which also spanned numerous departments at the
institutions.
Egg whites and
yolks account for 70% of the coating and most of the rest is nanoscale
cellulose from wood, which acts as a barrier to water, according to the
release. Cucurmin is added for antimicrobial effects and glycerol adds
elasticity.
Researchers
are also testing proteins that can be extracted from plants to make protective
coatings, according to the release.
An added
benefit: the coating can be made from eggs that would normally go to landfills.
According to the release, up to 200 million of the seven billion eggs produced
in the U.S. are sent to landfills because they are rejected by manufacturers,
although there’s nothing wrong with the egg yolk and whites.
SPOTLIGHT AP
Add fruit, veggies and grains to diet to reduce type 2 diabetes
risk by 25%, studies say
·
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Adding about a third of a cup of fruit or vegetables
to your daily diet could cut your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 25%,
while higher consumptions of whole grains such as brown bread and oatmeal could
cut the risk by 29%, according to two new studies published Wednesday in the
journal BMJ.
The studies add to the growing database of literature
that shows a
healthier diet of whole grains, fruits and veggies — along
with regular physical activity, no smoking and maintaining a healthy
weight — can significantly impact your risk of developing the deadly
disease.
Diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in
2016, according
to the World Health Organization, and is a "major
cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb
amputation."
Some 463 million adults between the ages of 20 and 79
years were living with diabetes in 2019, according to the International
Diabetes Federation. That number is expected to rise to 700
million by 2045.
Objective look at fruits and
veggies
Most studies use questionnaires to quiz study
participants about what they ate and when, which leaves most nutritional
studies subject to the vagaries of human recall.
But a group of European researchers used an objective
measurement — a composite score of blood biomarkers of vitamin C and
carotenoids (the richly colored pigments of yellow, red and green on fruits and
vegetables) — to measure the amount of fruits and veggies eaten.
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The study compared nearly 10,000 adults with
new-onset type 2 diabetes to a group of nearly 14,000 adults who remained free
of diabetes. All were participating in the European Prospective Investigation
into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-InterAct study that took place in eight
European countries.
There was a 25% lower risk of developing type 2
diabetes for every 66 extra grams of fruit and vegetables eaten each day, the
study found.
That's not much — just over 1/3 cup of either fruits
or veggies.
"The public health implication of this
observation is that the consumption of even a moderately increased amount of
fruit and vegetables among populations who typically consume low levels could
help to prevent type 2 diabetes," the study said.
"It should be noted that these findings and
other available evidence suggest that fruit and vegetable intake, rather than
vitamin supplements, is potentially beneficial for the prevention of type 2
diabetes."
Whole grains good, except popcorn
The second study used
questionnaires to measure the whole grain intake of more than 158,000 women and
nearly 37,000 men taking part in the Nurses' Health Study, Nurses' Health Study
II, and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. All three studies have been
following the health of Americans free from diabetes, heart disease and cancer
over long periods of time.
Foods and ingredients considered whole grains were:
whole wheat and whole wheat flour, whole oats and whole oat flour, whole
cornmeal and whole corn flour, whole rye and whole rye flour, whole barley,
bulgur, buckwheat, brown rice and brown rice flour, popcorn, amaranth and
psyllium.
Results showed that eating two or more servings a
week of oatmeal was associated with a 21% lower risk of diabetes, a 15% lower
risk for added bran and a 12% lower risk for brown rice and wheat germ, when
compared to eating less than one serving a month.
There was a 19% lower risk of diabetes with eating
one or more servings a day of whole grain cold breakfast cereal and a 21% lower
risk for the same amount of dark bread, again compared to eating less than one
serving a month.
These statistics held true even after adjusting for
body mass index and other lifestyle and dietary risk factors for diabetes, the
study said.
On average, people who ate the most whole grains —
around four to six servings a week — had a 29% lower rate of type 2 diabetes
than those who ate none or less than one serving a month.
On a daily basis, reductions in risk plateaued at
about two servings a day for total whole grain intake, and a half a serving a
day for whole grain cold breakfast cereal and dark bread.
One grain, however, had a negative effect: popcorn.
The study found an increased rate of type 2 diabetes with eating one or more
servings of popcorn a day. The effect occurred only when a full serving of 1
cup or more was eaten.
While popcorn, as a whole grain, has relatively high
amounts of fiber and fills us up, the researchers pointed out that Americans
often eat their popcorn with lots of salt and butter, and sometimes sugar or
cheese, which can lessen its healthy properties. In addition, most Americans
don't pop from a whole grain but purchase "ultraprocessed" versions
that are microwaved, home popped, or ready to eat.
The constraints of rice production and
processing in Nigeria | By Ogungbile Emmanuel Oludotun
Today in Nigeria, if I’m
right, a 50 kg bag of rice can cost as much as 24,000 naira in Lagos – nearly
double the price in July last year before the borders were shut and not far
below the monthly minimum wage of 30,000 naira. Hence, consumers, who already
spend more than half their income on food according to the World Bank, are
feeling the squeeze.
Again, the question is are we not going to
get to a point where people who are buying rice can’t afford to buy rice, and
perhaps look at other alternatives to get energy and get food on their table? Who
will ease the length of this ‘colic’ from the suffering masses? The answer I
may not know.
Evidently, Nigeria is the most populous
country in Africa, with a population of over 130 million people. Food
Agriculture and Organisation (FAO) attested that Its domestic economy is
dominated by agriculture, which accounts for about 40% of the Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) and two-thirds of the labour force.
Agriculture supplies food, raw materials
and generates household income for the majority of the people. Again, it’s
ostentative that the external sector is dominated by petroleum, which generates
about 95% of Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings while agriculture contributes
less than 5%. Incessant reports has always shown that trade imports are
dominated by capital foods, raw materials and food. Nigeria is currently
preoccupied with the challenge of diversifying the structure of its economy.
True, Nigeria is the continent’s leading
consumer of rice, one of the largest producers of rice in Africa and
simultaneously one of the largest rice importers in the world. As well as an
important food security crop, it is an essential cash crop for it is mainly
small-scale producers who commonly sell 80 per cent of total production and
consume only 20 per cent.
Rice generates more income for Nigerian
farmers than any other cash crop in the country. In 2008, reports accounted
that Nigeria produced approximately 2 million MT of milled rice and imported
roughly 3 million metric tons, including the estimated 800,000 metric tons that
is suspected to enter the country illegally on an annual basis.
Today, we can confidently say that rice is
an increasingly consequential crop in Nigeria. It is passably simple to produce
and is grown for home and sale consumption. In some areas like the South west
and the North there is a long tradition of rice growing, but for many, rice has
been considered a luxury food for special occasions only. With the increased
availability of rice, it has become an everyday diet of many average Nigerians.
Undisputable research has unfurled that there are many varieties of rice
grown in Nigeria. Some of these are considered conventional varieties, others
have been introduced within the last twenty years. Substantially, rice is grown
in paddies or on upland fields, depending on the requirements of the particular
variety; there is limited mangrove cultivation.
New varieties are produced and disseminated
by research institutes or are imported from Asia. Further studied also averred
that the spread of these strains is determined by their perceived success, and
farmers multiply seed for their own plots when they see a variety doing well in
someone else’s field, or if a variety is fetching a good price in the market.
It seems also that strong political factors
affect the dissemination of varieties; the most striking example of this is a
rice called “China”, imported to Nigeria around twenty years ago by a
political figure and now grown everywhere despite the fact that seed trials
carried out by NCRI declared it unsatisfactory.
Before we dive further, it is necessary to
assert that Rice (Oryza sativa) is a cereal belonging to the Gramineae, a large
monocotyledonous family of some 600 genera and around 10,000 species. It is
valued as the most important staple food for over half of the world population
and ranks third after wheat and maize in production on a world basis. More than
half of the world’s population depends on rice as the major source of calories.
The amount consumed by all these people
ranged from 100kg to 240kg per annum in the year 2000 alone. Two species have
emerged as our most popular cultivated rice, Oryza sativa and Oryza glaberrima;
of these two species, the more widely produced is Oryza sativa.
According to the World bank, a combination
of various factors seems to have triggered the structural increase in rice
consumption. Like elsewhere in West Africa, urbanization appears to be the most
important cause of the shift in consumer preferences towards rice in Nigeria.
Rice is easy to prepare compared to other traditional cereals, thereby reducing
the chore of food preparation and fitting more easily in the urban lifestyles
of rich and poor alike.
Rice indeed is no longer a luxury food in
Nigeria and has become a major source of calories for the urban poor. For
example, the poorest third of urban households obtain 33% of their cereal-based
calories from rice, and rice purchases represent a major component of cash
expenditures on cereals. Rice availability and prices have become a major
welfare determinant for the poorest segments of the countries’ consumers who
also are the least food secure.
Thus, rice has, become a strategic
commodity in the Nigerian economy. Wherefore, the Nigerian government has
interfered in the rice sector over the past few decades. Public policy in this
respect has neither been consistent nor appropriate and domestic production has
continued to lag behind demand. Given the current globalisation trend and an
increasingly competitive world economy, Nigeria faces some strategic choices in
relation to the rice economy.
Now, in a brief into rice processing by
farmers, Agricultural field report showed that the fields cannot be ploughed
until after the first rain, generally in May or June. During the oil boom many
farmers had access to tractors, but most now undertake all land preparation and
harvesting by hand. Generally, tasks are allocated along gender lines, but in
some areas men and women work together. It was observed that women are
typically responsible for the transplanting of seedlings to the fields and
threshing, whilst it is often the men who hoe.
Most farmers produce one rice crop each
year, but some have made irrigation channels which allow them to reap two or
even three harvests in the year. This allows them to plant seedlings when there
is less danger from disease or pests. At the same time, frequent planting
exhausts the soil more quickly and, as fertilisers are expensive, many farmers
are noticing the falling productivity of the soil.
Fertilisers and herbicides are expensive,
and rice is favoured as a crop because it needs fewer inputs than maize. Some
farmers use organic fertilisers, including a method of green manuring by which
grass is allowed to grow and is then ploughed back into the soil. The use of
organic fertilisers, though, is time-consuming, and is not widespread; many
farmers resign themselves to buying fertilisers which they consider to be too
expensive.
It’s necessary to know that rice processing involves several steps:
removal of the husks, milling the shelled rice to remove the bran layer. and an
additional whitening step to meet market expectations for appearance of the
rice kernels. This process generated several streams of material which include
the husks, the bran, and the milled rice kernel.
Consequently, according to a journal of
food processing by Ladoke Akintola University, it averred that in Nigeria, rice
consumption has risen tremendously at about 10% per annum due to changing
consumer preferences. However, discovered that most Nigerians prefer to consume
imported rice brands as compared to local rice varieties. The reason is that
most Nigerian rice process or slack adequate technology of rice processing to
meet international standard.
Again, Nigeria has the potential to be
self-sufficient in rice production, both for food and industrial raw material
needs and for export purpose. However, a number of constraints have been
identified as limiting factors to rice production. These include problems with
research, pest and disease management. Addressing at least most of these problems
is good first step towards attaining the target of rice self-sufficiency.
Therefore a major objective of this piece is to review the challenges facing
rice production in Nigeria and provide guide to overcome these problems.
Now, one of the major quagmire encountered
by farmers in rice production cuts across the value chain. Howbeit, the most
outstanding challenge is the finance for rice farming. In every segment of the
rice production process, it has been observed that finance played a significant
role in the development of rice processing in Nigeria, has government do little
or nothing in rendering help to the Nigerian farmers.
According to a study, ‘Rice Production and
Processing in Ogun State, Nigeria: Qualitative Insights from Farmers’ Association’
it opened that majority of the rice farmers are aged above 50, and they serve
as the major source of labour as most of the young working population prefer
white-collar jobs.
Consequently, the cost of farm labour has
become very expensive making it very difficult for an individual farmer to
hire. Hence, before any farmer can carry out rice production beyond the
subsistence level, there will be a need for financial support from the
government, private investors, individuals, agric-scientist and non-governmental
organisations (NGOs). For instance, the government could assist the farmers by
procuring group of interested farmers at a reduced cost to facilitate farm
mechanisation and commercial production. Thus, clusters of rice farmers could
afford to hire these tractors to clear large hectares of land.
Again, according to FAO, the world rice
production for over almost a decade (2003–2012). In 2003, about 580 million
tons of rice were produced worldwide, 602 million tons in 2004, 620 million
tons in 2005, and 622 million tons in 2006. The production continued to grow
yearly; by 2007, the production had risen to 648 million tons.
The production reached a peak in 2011 with
a total production of 720 million tons in order to feed the increasing global
population. Furthermore, the world’s annual production growth rate was
stagnated in 2012. A review article in the journal of food processing suggested
that the reason could be attributed to natural disaster such as storm, tornado,
and unfavourable climate as reported by.
Furthermore, reported that instant low
temperature below the critical point can affect seedling establishment in the
early growth stage and high grain sterility he late crop season. Unavailability
of water has impeded farmers from growing rice in the southern part of
California and in Southern Italy, even though these areas are more favourable
in terms of climate for growing rice than the northern parts of the countries.
Asia accounts for 90% of the world’s production and consumption of rice because
of its favourable warm and humid climate, but suitable lands for increasing
rice production are almost exhausted, and even in Nigeria what is this case?
The problem of land development is another
pickle that arises because most of the farmlands for rice cultivation are
usually located in the rainforest, especially areas that have not been used for
rice cultivation previously. In a March 2018 study of researchers from Covenant
University affirmed that, given the nature of vegetation, intended lands for
rice cultivation will require a great number of labour inputs to clear a large
expanse of land particularly when it is not mechanised.
However, to effectively clear such forest
zones for rice cultivation, there will need to hire tractors which could be
highly exorbitant; hence, may not be within the reach of an average rice
farmer. Apart from the challenge in hiring tractors, the interview revealed
that rice seed germinates within the topsoil where the rice roots absorb soil
nutrients; hence, most of the nutrients needed for rice growth are supplied
from the surface soil.
This further entails that the tractor operation during land preparation
should be carried out with some care with a view not to removing the surface
soil that houses the essential nutrients, which is crucial for effective rice
production. However, it is observed that there are instances whereby the soil
nutrients are eroded from the surface soil during tractor operation in the land
preparation process which eventually affects the supply of nutrients to the
crops.
Furthermore, a 2012 book on ‘Agricultural
Transformation Agenda: Repositioning Agriculture to Drive Nigeria’s Economy.
Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’ laid out that the farm
inputs refer to the availability of farm raw materials required for the rice
production. Most important in this aspect is the ability of the farmers to have
access to the right variety of rice seed that is suitable for that particular
ecology.
Secondly, studies from a piece ‘Support for
Small Rice Threshers in Nigeria opined the issue of genuine herbicides for
effective treatment of weeds is a real challenge at the rice production stage.
This owes to the fact that some of the herbicides are now becoming adulterated.
This makes it difficult to distinguish between the original and fake
herbicides. To access new improved varieties that are suitable for a particular
ecology requires a huge sum of money which could highly expensive for an
average farmer to afford. However, the government is yet to meet up with the
demand of procuring these varieties and making it available to the farmers at a
subsidised rate as a means of assisting the local farmers in boosting rice
production.
Further deeper, a study and survey
conducted into the rice processing in Ogun state in 2018 stated that most of
the production processes that are connected to rice production in Ogun State
still make use of traditional method approach. The process starting from land
cultivation to harvesting and processing are mostly done with manual labour,
thus making the production process labour intensive. From KII, it was learnt
that on the average a farmer needs a total of 10 workers to work on a hectare
of land from cultivation to the harvesting stage.
Despite the fact that some of these farmworkers
are family members, the cost of hiring farm labourers poses a significant
constraint to rice production in Nigeria. The labour-intensive method of rice
farming is not only tedious but time-consuming and at the end, the farmers only
produce at the subsistence levels and in few cases where there is excess it is
sold at the local markets. The un-mechanised method (which is also referred to
as no or low tractorisation) of rice production does not allow for production
in commercial quantities that could be harvested, processed and marketed to
reach wider consumers.
According to a study, another factor
militating against rice production and processing in Nigeria is that the
inadequate knowledge on the use of herbicides and pesticide, which shall make
us dive into another major challenge associated with the production stage as
highlighted in the fieldwork is the issue of bird infestation, which is quite
problematic at the period of maturity of the rice grains in the field. An
infield study showed that the farmers interviewed explained that rice farmers
need to scare the birds for at least 30 days prior to the maturity of the rice
grains.
The challenging aspect of it is that the
farmer or the person employed for this job will have to be in the farm early in
the morning about 6.00 am before the birds wake up to stay on the farm till in
the evening around 7.00 pm after the birds have gone to sleep. Hence, the
farmer has to be in the farm before the waking up of the birds and remain there
till evening when the birds go to sleep with routine process of blowing a
whistle or beating a kind of drum to raise sufficient noise that will drive
away the birds.
Once more, we can go on and on to discuss
into the different constraints, and iterate the labour intensity involved such
as ploughing, planting, weeding, harvesting, threshing, and transportation
being strenuous and laborious; the problem is worsened by lack of appropriate
rice farming tools, implementation, and equipment. We can also go on to
highlight the problem of linkages relates with the marketing and distribution
networks challenges, which is the rice economy.
Savants have agreed that there is a need to
link the rice farmers with the markets for demands of their produce. In the
interview works of some Agric researchers with the farmers, they discovered
that the price of the rice products does not reflect their real value. In this
case, the farmers are at a loss. This occurs in instances where the produced
and packaged rice is being sold below the real value probably because the
farmers are in dire need of finance to solve some other problems and will have
no other option than to sell the rice at a price which is below what it would
have been sold under normal circumstances.
Today, however, it’s not strange that in
August last year, Nigeria went a step further and closed its land borders
altogether to stamp out smuggling, often from neighbouring Benin, with rice
being one of the main targets. Then, the presidency through the Buhari’s
spokesman, Garba Shehu, said the measures boosted rice production to 9.2
million tonnes last year from 7.2 million in 2015, making Nigeria more or less
self-sufficient, though traders can import rice through ports if they pay the
tariffs.
Agricultural data specialist Gro
Intelligence, however, put Nigeria’s rice output at 4.9 million tonnes in 2019,
up 60% from 2013 but well below local consumption of 7 million tonnes.
Furthermore, The U.S. Department of Agriculture, meanwhile, expects Nigeria’s 2020
rice imports to rise 9% to 2.4 million tonnes, in part due to the high cost of
unprocessed Nigerian paddy rice and elevated operating costs at mills. In
Lagos, Nigeria’s biggest city, supermarket shelves remain stocked with a
plethora of imported rice brands. Isn’t this a challenge already?
Having highlighted into constraints of rice
processing and production it’s necessary to discuss the solutions that might
ease the situation. Hence, as suggested by the early referred outcome of the
study conducted on rice production and processing in Ogun State, Nigeria:
Qualitative insights from farmers’ association, which opened that it’s germane
that additional support for the development of efficient rice seed varieties be
advocated, and that It is also essential that the distribution of rice
varieties that are resilient to climate changes be encouraged. Once more, the
promotion of good agricultural practices that will help to compensate for the
lapses rice production processes cannot be overemphasised in this regard.
Moreso, it’s quite ostentative that the
decision of the federal government to close the country’s land borders has
resulted to increased local rice production. The volume of rice produced
locally has soared to eight million metric tonnes with the federal government
aiming to achieve 18 million tonnes by 2023. Hence, this development can only
be sustained if farmers are motivated towards increasing yield per hectares
across the federation to meet the Agricultural Policy Programme, as this would
ensure food security and increase agro-export to boost the nation’s Gross
Domestic Product (GDP).
Without much ado, reports have it that
Nigeria has about 12 million rice farmers, and the number is expected to keep
growing. Global rice consumption remains strong. It is driven by both
population and economic growth in many Asian and African countries, as Nigerian
rice value chain is characterised by yields that are far below what would be
possible with improved management, improved market information and structure, and
updated rice-processing capacity.
The Nigeria government can also consolidate
on the achievement as the World rice production statistics revealed that in
2018, out of the 14.6 million metric tonnes of paddy produced annually on 7.3
million hectares of land in Africa, Nigeria’s production rose from 3.7 million
tonnes in 2017 to 4.0 million metric tonnes. Through the anchor borrower’s
scheme, reports on rice production in Nigeria said it has hit eight million
metric tonnes, with the nation aiming at 18 million tonnes by 2023.
According to Cyril Okonkwo, a rice seller
at Mile 12 market, Lagos, although the margin of profit between foreign to
Nigerian rice is still high, it is pertinent that the nation supports homegrown
rice producers to encourage local farmers in various states. The government can
also aid farmers, according to Rice Almanac, a publication of Global Rice
Science Partnership (GRiSP), Policies and conditions that offer opportunities
for developing the rice sector in the country, includes zero tariffs on
agricultural machinery and equipment, a large domestic market for rice products
and by-products, government subsidies on fertilizer, seed, and tractors and
implements, and guaranteed minimum price support for farmers.
Still on, as the method of rice cultivation
and harvesting mostly relied on labour-intensive approach at the subsistence
level in addition to low level of Agricultural extension agencies. An
alternative, however, to encourage farmers to increase their production
base is through agricultural extension services. Therefore, for the rice
farmers to operate at the mechanised level of rice production government
support is earnestly advocated for.
In conclusion, Nigeria has a good climate
for rice production and it has the favourable market to absorb the production,
and one cannot exhaust out all the solutions to the problems of rice processing
and production in Nigeria. Thus, there is an urgent need for all stakeholders
connected with agricultural productivity to work in synergy in the cross-fertilisation
of ideas on the current challenges and prospects of rice production and
processing techniques that will enhance rice security and other food security
policy measures.
It’s wherefore consequential for
government, non-governmental organisations and private investors and
stakeholders in the provision of financial assistance, agricultural grants,
subsidy and accessible credit facilities in support of rice production and
processing among the rice-producing states in Nigeria. We can make an economy out
of rice processing and production.
Ogungbile Emmanuel Oludotun
University of Ibadan
Qwenu! publishes
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Anchor Borrowers: CBN-RIFAN’s 36,000 bags
of rice hit markets
Our
Reporter
ABOUT
36,000 bags of rice produced by local farmers under the Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN)- funded Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) have hit Nigerian
markets.
The
bags of rice were produced during the 2019/2020 dry season
It
was learnt that the mass production of the local rice was designed to crash the
price of Nigeria’s most consumed staple food.
The
scheme, funded by CBN, is being midwifed by the Rice Farmers Association of
Nigeria (RIFAN).
According
to RIFAN, sales of its padi rice to millers was flagged off at the
weekend in Taraba State.
The
Secretary of RIFAN, Taraba State chapter, Mamman Rabiu, in a statement last
night said “36,000 bags of padi rice were sold to the integrated millers, local
millers, women groups, among others at the subsidized price of N11,000 per
100-kilogram bag.
“The
36,000 bags were collected from members of RIFAN as 30 percent equity of the
2019/2020 dry season recovery. The padi was sold to millers in the local communities.
And they are expected to process the padi and sell it back to the community at
a subsidized price.”
Rabiu
said RIFAN has signed an MoU with the millers to sell the finished products at
a subsidized price as part of efforts to ensure food security.
He
said the agreement covers integrated millers who have bigger machinery for
de-stoning and polishing.
Read Also: CBN
palliatives coming for aviation industry
He
added: “For example, there are plans to sell a processed bag of
rice at N15,000 per 50 kilogram bag. It is worth mentioning here that a
50kg local bag of rice sells at an average N18,000 in Taraba state. On the
other hand, the RIFAN agreement will see small holding millers (who don’t have
machinery for de-stoning and polishing, etc) to sell their 50kg bag at between
N13-N13,500.
He
said the Taraba State “success story is what is happening across the
entire federation, “The essence of ABP is to ensure food safety and security.
By this, the local farmers are economically empowered, while the general public
is fed with healthier and nutritious rice at “President Buhari’s action against
hunger and ensuring food security was made possible by CBN under the dynamic
leadership of Mr Godwin Emefiele.
“In
keeping with his promise to run a central bank that would serve the growth and
development needs of the country, Emefiele ensured that CBN becomes a strategic
driver of economic growth of the country.
“The
CBN under him has introduced various initiatives for concessionary funding of
agriculture, which is widely recognized as the sector that has the potential to
drive economic growth affordable prices.”
This
perspective was echoed recently by the President of the African Development
Bank (AfDB) and Nigeria’s former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development,
Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, while speaking on food security.
“The
future of food in the world will depend on what Africa does with agriculture.
Therefore we must change our view on agriculture. Agriculture is not a
development activity or a social sector; agriculture is a business. We must not
use agriculture to manage poverty; instead, we must use agriculture to create wealth,”
the AfDB President said.
Signing event on the
“Contract farming of Sustainable Rice Production (SRP) between AMRU Rice and 8
Agricultural Cooperatives in Battambang Province”
On July 10, 2020,
at the Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries Battambong Province,
Oknha Chray Son, Vice President of Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF), and the
chair of executive committee on the cooperative agriculture development, has
attended the signing event on contract farming deals to produce and supply
fragrant paddy on sustainable rice for the 2020 cultivation season between AMRU
Rice company, one of CRF’s member, and 8 agricultures cooperatives (AC) in
Battambang province. This ceremony is also attended by Mr. Kong Pheach,
Director of the Department of Agriculture and Industry of the Ministry of
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Director of the Department of Commerce,
three district governors in Battambang province, and a total of nearly 40 community
representatives.
The cooperatives consist
of 1,000 families, and will produce and supply Sen Kro Ob paddy and Phka
Rumdoul varieties. These eight cooperatives have a production capacity of
18,000 tons of rice on an area of 4,544 hectares of fragrant rice and Pka
Rumduol. This contract signing event was jointly organized by eight farming
communities in Battambang province, AMRU Rice company, Cambodian Institute for
Research Rural Development (SIDE), Facilitation Association of Economy for
Cooperatives (FAEC), AIMS project coordinated by Battambang Provincial
Department of Commerce and Battambang Provincial Department of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries. This event was also supported by the Ministry of
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Ministry of Commerce, the Cambodian
Rice Federation (CRF) and the International Finance Corporation of the World
Bank (IFC-World Bank).
In this event, Oknha Chray
Son, express his impression, on behalf of CRF, toward the progression of rice
export, the increase of export for the first semester of 2020, generating in
the total amount of almost 400,000 tonnes and expect to achieve more than
450,000 tonnes for the next semester. Oknha Chray Son said “Contract farming
between the export company will be the bridge to build trust among the
agriculture cooperatives and rice millers to create a sustainable market for
farmers and the rice millers will have the quality of paddy for milling for
exports”.
Battambang province has
82 farming cooperatives, which offers a high potential for rice millers to
partner with to produce, supply and purchase paddy. CRF would like to call for
other cooperative agriculture producers to seek a partnership or contact the
CRF for any facilitation on contract farming.
http://www.crf.org.kh/?page=api_location_detail&id=1352&lg=en
http://www.crf.org.kh/?page=api_location_detail&id=1352&lg=en
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