16th May, 2019
The Institute for Agricultural Research, Zaria on Thursday exposed rice farmers in Nasarawa State to the proceedures for boosting dry season production using cheap technology.
Prof. Henry Ibadun, a senior official of the institute, during a field demonstration of the technologies at Azuba Bashayi community, near Lafia, said it would go a long way to ensure cost-effective rice production during dry season.
According to him, the project, which is under the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT), and Water Enabler Compact (WEC), programme will make rice production attractive to the youth as it is a lucrative business.
He advised governments to support agriculture with the necessary machineries that would attract and harness the strength of the youth in order to boost the sector.
Alh. Suleiman Gambo, the Commissioner for Agriculture, thanked the institute for introducing the technologies to rice farmers in the state.
He assured the institute that government would do its best to sustain and ensure the utilisation of the technologies by farmers for optimum dry season rice production.
Similarly, Mr Joshua Jonathan, chairman of Bukan-Sidi Rice Innovation Platform, lauded the institute for implementing the programme in the state.
He said that the gesture was a solution to the lingering water management challenges being faced by dry season rice farmers in the state.