Rice farmers in Taraba State said they were expecting bumper harvest from their dry season farming. North East Trust reports that the stability recorded in the prices of paddy rice and high demand has attracted more farmers to cue into the dry season farming in the state. In Jalingo,Karim_Lamido,Lau, Gassol, Wukari,Donga and Ibbi local government areas, hundreds of farmers have embarked on rice production through dry season farming programme. The  River Benue, River Donga and River Taraba have also served as good sources of water supply needed by dry farmers across the state. A farmer, Engineer Yahaya Malinda, told North East Trust that he increased his farming activities because of good price of paddy rice and high demand of the product. 

  He said he was expecting high yield from his rice farms adding that farmers were not also facing threat of pests or shortage of water as was the case in previous years. “In previous years dry season  farmers have faced series of problems ranging from shortage of water, attacks by pests and poor market of paddy rice” Engineer Yahaya said. He said the loan of farm inputs granted to dry season farmers by the federal government had attracted more farmers into dry season farming. The state chairman of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, Mallam Tanko Bobbo Andame, told North East Trust that dry season farmers were expecting bumper harvest in the state. He said the Association had dialogued with Cattle Breeders association resulting in good understanding between farmers and herdsmen while farmers are not facing threat of pests attacks on their farms. “I can tell you that there is stability on the farms.

  The threat by herdsmen on our crops, which it was the case in previous years has been addressed now and there is  stability of price of paddy rice and high demand of the commodity,” Tanko Andame said.

  The chairman said more than 30,000 rice farmers were given soft loan of farm inputs just before the commencement of dry season activities in the state. He said reports from farming communities in the state have  indicated that farmers are carrying their activities without hindrance which is  a good signal to bumper harvest.  

Source: Daily Trust