Kano – The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Kano State chapter, has called on the Federal Government to provide adequate funds to Agricultural Research Institutes to enable them to conduct research on suitable soil for rice production.
The Organising Secretary of the association, Alhaji Isah Bawa, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Saturday.
Bawa said there was urgent need for the federal government to support the research Institutes to conduct the research in order to find out the suitable soil for the production of the grain in the state.
He said lack of good knowledge of suitable soil for the production of the commodity was one of the major challenges facing rice farmers in the state.
He attributed the low yields being recorded by rice farmers in the state to the inability of the farmers to know the suitable soil for planting the crop.
“Soil test is very important as it will enable farmers to know suitable soil for the production of a particular crop,” the secretary said.
He also stressed the need for the government to rehabilitate the main water canals and distribution channels at all the irrigation sites particularly at Kadawa to enhance irrigation activities.
He said this was necessary in order to make the facilities more effective as most of them were not functioning well.
“Part of our problems as rice farmers include lack of effective water distribution channels; ‘blast disease’ which prevents plant growth and quella birds,” he said.
Bawa also called on the government to provide water pumps and tube wells to farmers at Warawa, Kunchi, Bagwai, Dawakin Tofa and Wudil irrigation sites to boost rice production in the state.
“Farmers at these irrigation sites are using water pumps and tube wells and some of them have no access to these facilities.
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“Those who have no access to these facilities usually grow their crops at the river banks.
“So, if government can support them it will go along way in boosting rice production not only in the state but in the country,” he said.(NAN).