‘FCT Fadama’s rice foundation seed to augment production’

By John Oba
Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Fadama III additional Financing project has stated that its 12 hectares Faro 44 foundation seed would increase the production of certified standard seeds.
The Coordinator, Mr Salisu Danladi stated this when the FCT technical committee went to Fogbe community in Kwali Area Council for the over sight of the rice seed multiplication programme under irrigation.

Danladi said Faro 44 rice variety has the potential of yielding between four to five tons per hectare.
Explaining further, he said: “So if we take the bench mark of four tonnes per hectare, we are getting 48 tons of seeds, that would be foundation seeds, but we have to multiply it to get the certified seeds. With 48 tonnes of foundation seeds, this can plant over 100 hectares of land to get certified seeds and going still by the 48 tons per hectares, we are talking about over 4800 tonnes.”
He however stated that the rice is not for consumption but certified seeds for farmers to plant.

“Because planting materials are becoming scarce in the country, the demand is so high because the response to government’s call for Nigerians to go back to farm has almost exulted the seed companies. So we need to diversify sources of seed production but we must make sure that they meet the quality standard, that is why we are collaborating with other agencies and trying to increase the amount of planting materials that we be available to the farmers,” he explained
The project which is still in the pilot stage is expected to be replicated in other part of the FCT.

“For the dry season, this is the only project because it is a pilot project. FCT became effective in terms of participating in the Additional Financing Fadama 3 just last January because of the problem of Treasury Single Account and other issues.”
He said the project has shown that rice can be planted in three circles in a year. “Here we started with irrigation, now the rain has come and after this we can plant another crops after the rain using full irrigation,” he said.

Musa Doma, acting director, FCT Agricultural Development Programme, (ADP), who represented the chairman of the committee, Mr. Dr. Musa Aliu, said: “This is a laudable programme and it is a success story, we have seen that rice can be planted in FCT. And it is doing very well.
He said it took the secretariat several efforts to convince the farmer to engage in the project because they have not used planting rice. “This is the first attempt here, but I am sure the farmers are convince now that it is possible to cultivate rice in dry season.”

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