An agro-tech startup initially specialising in the rice value chain, RiceAfrika.com, has launched a combined harvester hiring service unit with a view to solving the challenges of rice and wheat farmers.
RiceAfrika.com facilitates interaction between stakeholders in the value chain and is working towards addressing the challenges of in-harvest loss and drudgery of manual harvesting.
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Founder of RiceAfrika.com, Ibrahim Maigari Ahmadu, said the service was operational all over Nigeria with plans to roll out in Tanzania, Senegal and Madagascar.
He said: “Our objective is crystal clear. It is using technology to improve rice production in Africa.
“In the past year, we discovered a major pain point shared by over 90 per cent of rural rice farmers in Nigeria which is manual harvesting.”
Manual harvesting is wasteful, time-consuming, expensive and tedious, contributing predominantly to post-harvest losses estimated at about 40 per cent in the country.
He said: “Harvesting one acre of land will require about 30 people for over 15 hours, but “our harvesters do this in less than one hour.
“We got into action and found a reputable manufacturer in China, and ordered a few modern, eco-friendly easy-to-use harvester machines, customized to our local weather and terrain.”
The hiring service is now fully operational all over Nigeria, Ahmadu said in a statement made available to journalists, adding that Tanzania, Senegal and Madagascar expansion was in view.
Also, Ifeoluwa Olatunji, RiceAfrika Country Head Nigeria, who recently joined the company from Farmcrowdy, said it is inspiring to see rural rice farmers hiring the harvesters.
By Grace Adetutu
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