By MERCY OMOIKE

The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) has decried low production output in the sector due to inconsistencies on the part of the farmers.

RIFAN Lagos State Chairman, Mr Raphael Hunsa, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos.

Hunsa noted that in spite of the support and interventions from the state government, some local farmers were inconsistent in the cultivation of the produce.

?We have been producing rice in Lagos consistently for a while now and our rice is very nutritious. However, our local production is not enough to meet the growing demand of the produce.

?Our production capacity is quite low. Last year, we were only able to produce 3,800 tonnes of rice, which is a far cry from the demand on the ground.

?The Lagos State Government through its Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems has been of great help to the sector through various interventions.

?However, there is a limit to how much the government can help farmers if the farmers are not consistent in going to their farms.

?If the government is helping local rice farmers, they must utilise the aid by making sure they are consistent in cultivation,? Hunsa said.

He also noted that most farmers have not cultivated their farms this year because they are waiting for government?s intervention in irrigation systems.

?As an association, we urge our members to be consistent in cultivation in order to increase our production output and meet growing demands.

?We also advise the government that whenever they want to empower farmers, they should go through the association leaders, so the intervention gets to the right hands.

?We, however, urge the government not to relent in supporting local farmers in order to achieve food security and increased production output,? he said.

On his part, Mr Shakin Agbayewa, the Deputy Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, blamed climate change as a major factor hindering the production output of the sector.

?Local rice farmers are not producing enough due to a lot of factors. Foremost is the climate change is the problem, the weather is so hot and not all farmers have access to irrigation.

?So, many farmers are waiting for the rainy season before they begin cultivation of their farms. But the problem of waiting for the rainy season is that a lot of the farms get washed away in flooding incidences.

?The government may give us intervention for a four- month farming cycle but after then what do the farmers do?

?Access to irrigation systems is a major problem for local rice farmers, the government need to intervene in this area to increase production output for the sector,? Agbayewa said.

NAN recalls that the National Bureau of Statistics in its Lagos forecasts of 2024/25 rice consumption, places it at 7.4 MMT

The increase could be ascribed to consumer inclination to purchase rice due to its affordability in comparison to other staple foods. (NAN)

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