Despite hitches, Katsina rice farmers begin harvest

Despite some hitches encountered by rice farmers in Katsina State, early planters have started smiling to the bank as harvest begins in the state.

The farmers said they suffered a long break, from June to July, before the rain stabilised.

Haruna Musa of Kahutu in Danja LGA said apart from the issue of rainfall, many rice farms suffered disease and pest attacks.

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“The implication of rain seizure includes pests and diseases attacking the crop, which results in low yield at the end of the production.

“The high cost of fertiliser was the reason many farmers in this zone opted for rice and soybeans instead of maize,” he added.

Haruna said the output of rice expected this year might not be up to that of last year considering how the crop suffered various setbacks.

“Now that the harvest has begun, a bag of paddy rice goes for between N17,000 and N19,000 as against the N15,000 it was sold for last year.

“Milling companies have started mopping up the produce through their agents in various markets in the state,” the farmer said.

Imrana Abdulkadir, a rice dealer at Dandume market, said there was a likelihood of the price of paddy rice to increase this year.

“The rice milling factories are increasing across the country, making the demand for the produce in our local markets to rise.

 “With this, we are anticipating an increase in its market price this year. Besides, rice as a global food item is the most sought-after produce in our local markets; merchants are coming from the east and south to purchase it in bulk,” he said.

Some of the farmers told the Daily Trust that they realised more revenue in rice production than in maize as no one envisaged that maize would be sold at less than N30,000 per 100kg but it ended up at less than N20,000.

Saidu Nalado Dandume said what he earned from rice this year cannot be gotten from maize.

“I sold 32 bags of paddy rice at the rate of N18,500 which is a total of N592,000 and the reason I planted rice was that I could not afford fertiliser to produce maize. Had it been maize, the best I could get from that farm would be 15 bags, each of which is now sold at between N11,000 to N14,000. Therefore, at best, maize would have given me N210,000 on the same farm.”

Nalado added that in the past seven years, rice farmers have earned more revenue than maize or soybean farmers in the state, considering the demand, market price and yield advantages the crop has over the rest.

He further decried the high cost of fertiliser, which has become the major challenge for farmers across the board.