Rice farmers in Chakaruku, Kogi local government of Kogi State, said their yield increased from 20 bags of rice paddy per hectare to 50 bags of rice paddy per hectare.
The farmers said their yield had increased drastically following the strict adherence to the best agronomic practice taught them the World Bank implemented project, Agro-processing Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support Project (APPEALS), Kogi State.
The project also provided the farmers with mechanisation and other farm inputs like fertilizer, sprayers and chemicals.
Mohammed Zakari, one of the farmers in Chakaruku, said before the intervention of APPEALS, they were farming manually and the yield was very small.
He said they used to farm one hectare of rice per person, but after the intervention of APPEALS, each person now cultivates 3 to 4 hectares of rice.
“Before, each hectare gives you 20 bags of rice paddy, but after taking us through best agronomic practices and providing us with farm inputs, we now harvest about 50 bags of rice paddy per hectare”, he said.
Zakari however, appealed for more assistance in the areas of chemicals, tractors and access roads from farms to their houses so that they can transport their produce from the farms to their houses.
He said in their clusters, some of the farmers have bought cars, while some sent their children to higher institutions, or they secure their own admission into the higher institutions after selling their produce.
“When we sell our rice to off-takers, some use the money to build houses, buy motor and send our children to schools. We have 6 groups comprising of 10 persons per group, and each group cultivate an average of 20 hectares”, he noted
Dauda Musa, APPEALS Extensions agent attached to the Chakaruku community, said his major work is to ensure that all farmers follow all the agronomic practices that they were taught so that there would be an improvement in their yield compared to what they harvest before.
He appealed for the extension of the APPEALS project and Chakaruku be reconsidered in the next phase of the project.
One of the farmers in the community, Abdullahi Attahiru bought a car with some money he made after selling some of his harvests.
He said he harvested 70 bags of rice from his farm, then he sold some and purchased a car. He said before he gets about 35 bags from the same 2 hectares.
Kogi State Coordinator of APPEALS project, Dr Sanni Ozomata said he is expecting an output of 4 tons per hectare on rice, while the project is supporting the cultivation of 993 hectares and a total of 3,972 tons is expected.
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President Muhammadu Buhari Friday at State House Abuja urged the MTN Group to make the available top-of-the-range service to its Nigerian subscribers… Kogi farmers harvest 50 bags of rice per hectare with APPEALS intervention ; Kogi farmers harvest 50 bags of rice per hectare with APPEALS intervention ; Kogi farmers harvest 50 bags of rice per hectare with APPEALS intervention ; Kogi farmers harvest 50 bags of rice per hectare with APPEALS intervention.
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