Rice farmers starts wet season planting

The Rice Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Akwa Ibom chapter has started ‘Batch A’ 2020 Wet Season Rice planting in the state.

Dr Emmanuel Bassey, the Chairman of the Association performed ceremony at National Cereal Research Institute, Owot Uta, Ibesikpo Asutan LGA on Thursday.

Bassey thanked members for their prompt response and huge attendance at the event, which portends their readiness to achieve the aims and objectives of the exercise.

He enjoined them to make good use of the opportunity offered by the exercise to contribute significantly to a buoyant post COVID-19 economy recovery in the state.

“We can bounce back the economy of the state through massive production of rice by employing appropriate farming methods, proper application of inputs and implements supplied by CBN  through RIFAN,” he said.

He urged members and farmers to participate in the ongoing registration of farmers in the state.

According to him, the registration will provide reliable data base for farmers in the state and identify genuine farmers for support that would give them the capacity to perform optimally.

The RIFAN chairman said that the economy registration would also attain to food sufficiency, generate employment and create wealth in line with the completion agenda of the present administration.

The chairman used the opportunity to distribute a number of farm inputs and implements such as fertilisers, rice seeds and seedlings, water pump, herbicides, among others to the farmers.