Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
Recently, Anambra State displayed its poise to become the rice hub of the nation with the commissioning of the 80,000 metric tons modern rice mill at Omor, in Ayamelum Local Government Area of the state.
Nigeria has about 12.2 million rice farmers expected to substantially bridge the gap in its seven million metric tonnes rice demand.
The programme have reduced rice import from 644,000 to 20,000 metric tons, according to reports from the Thai Rice Exporters Association. Federal Government’s strategic interventions, especially through the Central Bank of Nigeria Anchor Borrowers’ programme.
There was excitement in Umumbo and Omor communities over the resuscitation of the old Omor rice mill built by the defunct military regime in 1997.
The rice mill was abandoned until 2010 when the Federal Government handed the facility over to the state government under the watch of Mr. Peter Obi. However, it could not be reactivated due to the level of cannibalisation there.
The administration of Chief Willie Obiano in its bid to diversify the economy, create jobs for youths and enhance food security, in partnership with Joseph Agro Industries Limited, recently revitalized the mill.
Commissioning the mill, the governor described it as the largest in West Africa. He also laid the foundation stone of the irrigation water scheme undertaken by the Lower Anambra-Imo River Development Basin Authority funded by the Africa Development Bank (AfDB). The project, when completed, would supply water to the mill and communities at Umumbo and Omor to end the perennial scarcity of water in the area.
“Our budgeted rice production for this year is 525, 000 metric tons. We are doing well in the production of rice, cassava, maize and vegetable. It is also important to note that until today, all the validated rice mills in the state were producing a combined output of 670,000 metric tons per day.
“With the commissioning of this rice mill, Anambra State’s total rice mill capacity will stand at 889,000 metric tons per day. This achievement has strengthened our position as a leading rice producer in Nigeria. Indeed, JOSAN Integrated Rice Farms has shown a great ambition since it signed an MoU with my administration. They are presently cultivating 321 hectares of land at Ufuma in Orumba North and planning to acquire 5,000 more hectares at Umumbo.
“The irrigation of community water scheme is expected to have a huge impact on farming in the whole of Ayamelum LGA. It is designed to irrigate 10,000 hectares of farmland of water down from the Esu River. The water treatment plant that will come with it will provide potable water to many communities in Ayamelum and help in minimizing the incident of water borne diseases in this area. This will create more jobs for the youths of our state and more investors will come in to invest in the state,” Obiano said.
Chairman of JOSAN Integrated Rice Mills & Farms, Chief Oliver Okeke said he was first given the former dilapidated World Bank Rice farm in Ufuma in 2015, as a pilot scheme.
He disclosed that they were able to install two new rice mills, built all year round irrigation facilities and engaged in a large co-sponsored out-growers’ scheme with IFAD-value chain.
He said he won a national award as the IFAD state off-taker from the agriculture and rural development agency of the United Nations.
Okeke noted that the milestone at the Ufuma mills made the state government hand over the giant mill at Umumbo formerly known as Omor Rice mill to JOSAN, last year, for rehabilitation.
“The journey to resuscitate this giant rice mill started in earnest, with so many challenges, but to God be all the glory, you all today witness the complete resuscitation and expansion of this mill.
“This will help create employment, all year round, for over 20,000 farmers and thousands of agro processors, as using irrigation, there will now be all year water for farming, annual supply and full capacity processing of rice paddies into milled rice. Rice is Nigeria’s main staple food and Anambra will become a major supplier of rice to Nigeria and beyond,” he enthused.
He added that the irrigation project will also boost the economic income of over 20,000 rice farmers and 100,000 family dependents; ensure all year round farming, there would be enough rice paddies all year for hundreds of rice mills in the state. It will also usher in increased economic multiplier development into the rural areas in such areas as feeder roads, power, community water, logistics, ware houses, housing, schools and service industries.
For Umumbo community, it was a clear case of hope regained. The traditional ruler, Igwe Ikechukwu Chidubem and the President General, Chief Tony Nnaamah, said the mill did not work up to a year after its take-off in 1997.
“ The joy of the farmers in Omor and Umumbo is that during rainy season most of the rice we got were destroyed because there was no facility to dry the rice for safety but now if you harvest your rice, you will bring it here; they will dry it and mill it for you because they have par boiling section, drying section and milling section,” the monarch said.