“…with government targeting yield of over 3,000 metric tonnes of paddy rice…”
The Nasarawa State House of Assembly Standing Committee on Agriculture has today Thursday visited one of the largest State Government rice farm in Jangwa to inspect the ongoing harvest.
It was reported that the ongoing harvest at Jangwa Rice Farm is part of a larger 10,000-hectare rice farm project, with 3,300 hectares already cultivated and currently being harvested with the technical team.
It was however disclosed that as part of the State Government efforts in leaving no stone unturned in achieving the desired result and target, 500 workers were deployed to the farm to execute the project.
In a move to see things for themselves and ascertain the level of harvest, the members of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly Standing Committee on Agriculture visited the farm for inspection.
On arrival, it was discovered that harvesting machines and workers were seen busy to meet the State Government food security drive in the Farm.
According to the head of the technical team, Naphtali Jarumi Dacho, 30 metric tonnes have so far been harvested with the team expecting a hundred trucks which is equivalent to 3,000 metric tonnes of rice.
According to Dacho,
“After harvest, the rice is being packaged and given to Silvex International Company who will in turn process and brand it in the Nasarawa State bag tagged NASACO for sales in the market among other agricultural benefits”
On his part, the Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture and Special Duties, Hon. Mohammed Iyimoga Oyigye said the farm in providing a lot of interventions in the State.
“The rural roads you see around the state aimed at addressing the plights of farmers; the free farm inputs that government distributed are all the proceeds from here”
For the Chairman, Nasarawa State House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture, Dr Ibrahim Peter Akwe said that the farm was a breakthrough intervention by the State Government.
He commended Governor Abdullahi Sule for taken such proactive measures to address food insecurity in the State.
Dr. Peter also advised the technical team not to relent but continued to do their best and justify government investment and target in the farm.
“There is still much rice in the farm and they are dried. Therefore we advise the technical team to bring more harvester to the farm to avoid loses.”
It would be recalled that to facilitate transportation of farm produce from the farm and neighbouring communities, government has awarded a contract for the construction of Ribi/ Jangwa road and down to the farm.
And during the visit by the State parliamentarians, the road is at the verge of completion, the development that also received applause from the Nasarawa State House of Assembly.