 |
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
 |
USAID Information:
External Links:
|
|
|
|
|
Rice Farmers Improve Yield in Nigeria
FrontLines - March 2009
By Jennifer List
With the help of a USAID rice farming program in Nigeria, Patricia Alegba has improved crop yields and now earns enough to send all her children to school.
|
Margaret Tyoakaa used to squeeze out a meager living by selling drinks in a rural village in north-central Nigeria. After working long hours, she would make just enough money to cover her expenses, leaving her exhausted and hungry. Tyoakaa knew then she needed to make a career change, and that is when she decided to try her hand at rice farming.
“Last year, when my mother joined the Olam rice farming program,
I decided to help her,” she said. “I saw her success, and this year decided to enroll on my own [as a farmer-in-training].”
Tyoakaa lives in Nigeria’s breadbasket—Benue State—a place where agriculture, and especially rice farming, is enjoying
a resurgence.
With its arable land and tropical
climate, the country is an ideal locale for growing the staple.
But the business side of production
was less than ideal until 2005 when USAID’s mission in Nigeria began to work with the private sector to help reinvigorate the agricultural industry.
Nigerians eat 5.4 million metric
tons of rice worth $4 billion annually. Approximately 3.1 million
metric tons of that is imported, making Nigeria the largest net importer of rice on the African continent and the second largest importer in the world.
Would-be farmers in Nigeria were deterred from rice farming because it seemed too hard a lifestyle for little gain. Farmers didn’t have access to high-quality
seeds and fertilizers. And, even if they did, they couldn’t get a loan to buy these goods. Plus, getting the rice to market proved to be a major challenge. Not only do few Nigerian farmers
own vehicles to transport their goods, but once the crops were brought to market,
it was difficult to determine
which buyers would pay a fair price.
USAID and Olam International Nigeria, which specializes in supply management
for agricultural products,
have worked together to boost efficiency and earning potential of rice farmers.
The alliance is providing farmers with tools to help them succeed, from seed
cultivation and plantings to information about pesticide use, water management issues, and better harvesting techniques. Olam has also refurbished a local rice mill and implemented a rice pick-up program so farmers
no longer need to make long trips to market. Once at the mill, Olam purchases rice at above-market prices, encouraging farmers to continue producing the high-quality grain.
“The Olam-USAID partnership
provides a business model that can be replicated throughout Nigeria,” said Leslie Flagg, USAID coordinator. “Expansion of this model will allow Nigeria to produce rice to meet domestic and eventually Africa-wide demand. We are very excited about the possibilities.”
More than 8,000 farmers have gone through the Olam-USAID training program. Farmers have doubled their productivity
and increased their net incomes by 230 percent thanks to better rice yields and higher prices. Even more encouraging is the fact that younger generations
are becoming interested in farming again.
Recently, the First Bank of Nigeria and the Central Bank of Nigeria joined the partnership, providing $5 million in commercial
credit to farmers. With increased access to credit, these farmers can invest in higher-quality seeds, fertilizers, tractors, and land.
For the farmers of Benue State, this means they may
be able to buy a jeep so they can transport their wares to
the mill more frequently. “Farmers in Benue State have
a big dream for 2009,” said
one farmer.
For Tyoakaa and many others,
rice farming is providing a more comfortable life. “I have seen the difference in my life. I am now a very comfortable farmer and I anticipate a high yield,” she said.
★ – B.B.
FrontLines is published
by the Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs
U.S. Agency for International Development
To have FrontLines delivered
to you via postal mail, please subscribe.
Material should be submitted
by mail to Editor, FrontLines, USAID,
RRB, Suite 6.10, Washington, DC 20523-6100;
by FAX to 202-216-3035; or by e-mail to frontlines@usaid.gov
To view PDF files, download
the Adobe
Acrobat Reader.
Back to Top ^
|
