Federal Government’s efforts at ensuring rice sufficiency by 2015 is already getting boost from appreciable input particularly from the Olams rice farms as well as production from other local mills across the country.
Akinwunmi Adesina, minister of agriculture confirmed the Olams Farms is helping Nigeria’s effort to attain self-sufficiency in rice production during an assesment tour on the farm.
Located in Doma Local Government area of Nassarawa state, Olams rice farms
has strategic proximity to River Benue which allows for the construction of an irrigation dam inside the farm which is already supporting both dry and wet season cultivation.
The farm is a $72 million investment and has 900 workers who are mainly women.
“Our journey to attaining rice sufficiency target is being supported tremendously by the cultivation of 3000 hectares of the Olams farms which is cultivated both in the wet and dry season all year round, Adesina said, adding that “the farm cultivates 72 000 metric tonnes of paddy rice, as visible in the efforts of the combined harvesters continuously working and already harvesting”.
According to him, Local production in 2012 totaled 1.4 million metric tonnes of rice which added to the 2.94 million of additional paddy produced in 2013.
Continuing, the minister maintained that local production has helped prune down imported rice 2.3 million metric tonnes.
He assured that the Federal Government would partner with other development partners to provide basic infrastructure to the communities supporting agriculture with a view to attracting investment in the sector, and that Olams farms would be added to the Staple crop Processing zones in the country”
“We could conveniently boast of 4,200 small mills in the Abakaliki and several other farms around the country still boosting and supporting our rice sufficiency target”
Also,Mukul Marthur, the Olams farms managing Director assured that with their commitment, they would work with the Nigerian’s government vision of rice sufficiency”
Available statistics from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture show that Nigerians consume about 5 million metric tonnes of rice annually,which amounts to about 100 million 50kg of bags.
Harrison Edeh
