As part of efforts geared towards increasing rice production in the country, the federal government has requested the Nasarawa State government to provide 100, 000 hectares of land for the purpose of rice Cultivation.
This was disclosed by the State Governor Abdullahi Sule on Tuesday while receiving a delegation of the Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority, led by its managing director, Muhammad Addra.
Sule who further disclosed that the federal government has promised to fund the entire project and provide rice seedlings, added that a portion of the 200,000 hectares fallow plots of land at Tide in the Lower Benue River Basin will be utilised for the purpose.
“Just yesterday night, they called me from Abuja; they are looking for a hundred thousand hectares of land in Nasarawa State,” he said. “The federal government will fund it 100 per cent for rice production. If there is more land in Tide, they will provide the funding, for the clearing, land development and provide the seed.”
He also assured of his administration’s commitment to supporting the agency.
“I will continue to support the agency in its bid to convert the sprinkler system to flood irrigation, especially that the state government has acquired 500 hectares of land for its youth empowerment scheme in agriculture at the Doma Dam,” the governor said.
It is worthwhile to note that Rice is one of the most popular food in Nigeria. In 2020, data from United State Department of Agriculture shows that Nigeria produced 5040,000 metric tonnes, against a domestic consumption of 6700,000 metric tonnes.
