The Acting Project Coordinator of FCT FADAMA III Additional Funding Project, Rotimi Ajayi says the Presidential initiative on decreasing rice importation and increase domestic production is a decisive step that calls for proactive measures from all stakeholders in the rice subsector.
Ajayi disclosed this on Friday in his welcome address at the 2019 Dry Season Rice Production Farmers Green Field Day organised by Noma Tushin Arziki Rice Group in Yaba, Kwali Area Council of FCT Abuja.
Ajayi stated that FCT FADAMA has so far contributed a lot to the domestic production of rice in the Nation’s capital through training and funding support of rice farmers in the area of Rice Seed multiplication, adoption of proven rice production technology such as SAWAH Eco Technology for Rice Farming (SERIF) and other agronomic practices.
Ajayi, however said, the transfer of the Technologies and its adoption has resulted to the production of 84mt of Faro-44 Rice Seed by 20 members of Fogbe Rice Production Cluster in Kwali Area Council at an average of 4.2mt per hectare as against the initial 0.8mt/ha in 2017/2018 dry season farming.
“The adoption of proven agronomic practices like nursery practices, use of improved rice seed variety (Faro 44), correct spacing, good water management through proper land preparation, the uses of organic fertilizer among others are areas that require attention in rice production which Noma Tushin Arziki Rice Production Group is showcasing to other farmers in this Farmer Green Field Day today,” he reiterated.
On his part, the Director, Admin and Finance, FCTA Agriculture And Rural Development Secretariat, Ayo Femi Folarin in his keynote address said FADAMA lll is aimed at scaling up the impact and effectiveness of the Third National FADAMA development project through investing in technical assistance to support cluster of farmers for seed multiplication, acquisition of appropriate agriculture, machinery and enhancing demand driven adaptive as applied agricultural research on farm demonstration and extension service among others.
“We at the ARDS are equally impressed with the efforts made so far by the Project in the implementation of FADAMA lll Additional Financing Projects in the areas of mobilization and formation of potential groups, capacity building, training on- farm research demonstration of proven technologies as well as provision of funding of support in form of grants our esteemed farmers in the FCT. He said.”
The Chairman, Noma Tushin Arziki Rice Group, Ayuba Dogo in his remarks noted that before the intervention of FADAMA, the traditional ways of farming in the past consumed more seeds and resulted in less yield.
“Since the intervention of FADAMA III Additional Financing, we planted twelve kilograms per hectare as against fifty kilograms or more which yield less and more stressful.
“My expectation on this farm yield is to harvest three times of what I use to cultivate before the intervention of Fadama lll Additional Financing”. He added.
Also, the Community Chief, Esu of Yaba, Abdullahi Adamu, urged the FCT to provide tractor and fertilizer as it will help them cultivate their land as this years’ raining season has just begun.
“The seventeen graded chiefs need tractors at our domain because twelve to thirteen chiefs in seventeen chiefdoms are farmers”. He emphasized.
He however urged the residents of the community to go back to farming.
“As I’m talking to you, last year I got 173 bags of rice in my farm and I can boast of almost 83 bags of maize as the product from my farm”
“If me as a Chief, can go to the farm and work, what are you doing sitting down at home?”
“So I urge each and every one of us to go back to the farm so as to make food sufficient in our area council, FCT and Nigeria as a whole,” he charged.
