Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State said local rice production now hit three million tonnes yearly in the State, a leap that might soon exceed local demands.
Ganduje made this declaration in Kano at the launching of the indigenous rice value-chain promotion programme organized by the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) in partnership with R-CONNECT.
Represented by the Deputy Governor of the state who also oversees the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, the governor recalled that prior to the inception of his administration in 2015, rice production was very low.
$95 Million Ruga Settlement Project Unveiled in Kano
He noted the state and federal governments’ intervention had up-scaled the production of the staple food to around 75 per cent and that rice production in Kano has reached the level of 3 million tonnes a year.
The governor stated that under the Anchor Borrowers Programme alone, about 127,000 farmers have benefited in Kano state and condemned the action of critics who perpetuate falsehoods to twist government policies on agriculture in the country.
Exportation of Rice to Begin In Nigeria by 2022, Nanono
The governor, who described the programme as timely, as it would promote local rice production and patronage in Nigeria, called on the farmers to cooperate with the apex bank and relevant loan-giving institutions to ensure maximum benefits from such programmes.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sabo Nanono, represented by the Kano State Chairman All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Alhaji Farouk Rabi’u Mudi, appreciated the state increasing rice production.
Nanono stated that Kano State in general is the highest producer of rice in Nigeria because 127,000 hectares of the national 400,000 hectares are being produced in Kano alone.
