The Chairman of the FCT chapter of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Alhaji Abubakar Dahiru Zuba, has disclosed that about 600 rice farmers have been mobilised to commence dry season farming across the territory.
Zuba, while speaking during an interview with our reporter yesterday in Abuja, said the 600 rice farmers would be cultivating five hectares of land each, which, he said, could produce 300,000 tonnes of rice after harvest.
He said the association has already concluded arrangements to give out farm inputs such as fertilizers, sprayers, herbicides and chemicals to each of the farmers to enable them apply it on their farms after clearing.
“In fact, as I speak, we have started mobilizing some of the rice farmers for the dry season farming, and even me as I am talking laborers are on my farm clearing the farm,” he said.
According to him, the association has procured improved seedling (Para 44) for cultivation, stressing that it gives higher yields and is delectable in terms of consumption.
The RIFAN chairman, however, said the major challenge facing the association was farmers defaulting in paying back their loans.
