NALDA commences crop harvest in Oyo, Benue, others, records high yield

The National Land Development Agency (NALDA) has commenced crop harvest from its farm estates across the country where it recorded high yield.

NALDA which established farm estates across Nigeria to boost the nation’s food security drive, has achieved success in both farms built and run solely by the agency and those run in collaboration with private and public institutions across the six geopolitical zones.

Harvesting, bagging and storing of rice and maize are currently underway in Niger, Nasarawa, Benue, and Oyo states.

It is expected that these harvests will boost the nation’s rice and maize grain supply which will have a big effect on the value chains downstream that produce poultry feed, and other household goods.

From what was recorded in the fields, it is expected that NALDA’s harvests will help to reduce the gap in domestic production and supply of rice and maize.

In Bauchi State, maize harvest is ongoing at the well-equipped NALDA farm estate located at Galambi.

Although the overall land area is 500 hectares, 50 hectares were cultivated due to a 15-day rain delay and a late start to activities.

The Bauchi State Coordinator for NALDA Jalaludeen Muhammad Mu’Azu, said that the Agency’s farm will boost significant production in the area because no farms in the state possessed such machinery.

Mr Mu’azu told journalists at the harvest site that the complete farm operation was entirely mechanised, from harrowing to planting to spraying fertiliser with a 400-litre capacity boom sprayer and machinery for weeding and harvesting.

Speaking on the harvest he said: “we have just started our harvest and you know this is the first time we are farming here. From the stories that we heard from people, there is a particular place they showed us that since they came here 40 years ago, they have never seen maize production that can be compared to our own. They were very amazed.

“As a young man working in a mechanised farm, I feel very happy. For you to see a mechanized farm that use only machines for everything, you have to look very far, is very rare around us here and I see a very bright future because you will be able to cover a very wide area of land within a very short period.”

Also, harvesting and bagging have commenced in the NALDA-cultivated 150-hectare rice farm in Gboko, Benue State.

NALDA expects to harvest large metric tonnes of paddy rice from the farm, as what has already been harvested indicated.

Speaking with newsmen during the visit, NALDA Benue state coordinator, Asom William stated that the farm recorded good success due to the deployment of farm equipment adding that it has also drawn the willingness of youth to join the volunteer workforce.

He stated that the stage is set for more expansion in the coming cropping season, including diversification into dry season production.

On his part, Engineer Owolabi Matthew Olusegun, Head, Department of Engineering, at NALDA, said “this is what we have been preaching, and it is proof that Nigeria is capable of doing so, as you have witnessed firsthand at NALDA Farm. With this, you can see how much labour we have removed, how much drudgery has been eliminated, and how the entire process has been streamlined.

“We are therefore appealing to the federal government to invest more in NALDA. We are ready to replicate this farm all over the country. With this we can increase the acreage to ensure that we get food self-sufficiency. We can do it and we are doing it,” he said.

With maize grown on 85 hectares in this first season, continued harvesting has revealed a significant potential for over 100 metric tonnes of maize.

The completely mechanised farm is located in Tunga Gana, Paikoro LGA in Niger State, providing opportunities for women and young people in the area.

Although harvest and bagging is ongoing, maize harvested so far is remarkable to produce significant volume from the site.

The state Coordinator, NALDA, Niger State, Illiya Bala Manta described the ongoing harvest as very good especially because the entire process is fully mechanised, something he said has also attracted a lot of interest from the youth in the community.

“Majority of what we are doing here is mechanized, but we have also engaged approximately 50 women who will help assemble maize in areas where we may face obstacles with the machines. We have also involved about 100 youths from the beginning of field preparation until harvest depending on the operations,” he said.

Mr. Manta said the intention of the state is to extend more production in upcoming season, possibly covering 400 hectares if the headquarters allowed.

He also indicated that plans are also in the pipeline to commence 100 hectares of dry season farming in another location.

The farm’s manager, Mustapha Haruna Ndadama, described his time working in the farm as “very nice experience so far.”

“The most important aspect of it is the innovation. You can see every activity done with machines only a few places where we had challenges that we engage people to do it manually.

“The new innovations brought to us in Niger helped us to boost harvest and you can see farmers around coming because they’re seeing something they have not seen before,” he said.

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