The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Senator Emmanuel Onwe, last Saturday said he had cultivated 500 hectares of rice farm in the 2016 and 2017 farming seasons.
Onwe, a British-trained Lawyer and former Senator representing Ebonyi Central at the National Assembly, said that he was determined to be at the forefront of Governor David Umahi’s administration to revolutionise agriculture in the state.
The commissioner said the governor’s agricultural revolution, especially in rice production, made him target the cultivation of 500 hectares in 2018 after cultivating 150 hectares and 350 hectares of rice farm in the 2016 and 2017 farming seasons.
“I own the biggest private-individual rice farm in the south east geo-political zone of the country as anyone in doubt of this claim should prove otherwise.
“I will gladly surrender my entire harvest in the previous two years to charity if it is established that there is a larger individual effort anywhere in the south-east as we have more than 600 metric tons of paddy and 200 tons of milled rice in storage presently.
“I don’t know what is obtained in the South-South or South-West zone of the country but if there are individuals cultivating at such a scale, I am yet to hear about them which tempts me to say that we take the lead in the entirety of southern Nigeria.
“When five people replicate what we are doing in each state across the zone consistently with 10 state governors replicating what Umahi is doing, then self-sufficiency in this foreign exchange guzzler will become a reality in less than five years,” he said.
He promised to diversify into cassava cultivation in the coming years but it would be pertinent to first, establish a high level of expertise and lay proper foundation on rice production.
“The problem with Nigerians is that we are status- obsessed and being a lawyer, I believe agriculture can be practised by individuals regardless of their profession or status in the society.
“The more I am involved in this venture, the more I realise that the sacrifices to be made are huge but there are correlating benefits with the huge sense of patriotism of doing your bit to sustain a nation,” he said. Onwe said rice yield in some areas was modest and very rewarding in others as the farm in Ezillo for instance, was an upland or semi upland farm.
“Rice yields in such area are usually very low, we struggle to make up to two to three metric tons of harvest per hectare while in the swampy fields in Ikwo for instance, we make five metric tons per hectare.
“The returns are directly proportional to the profit one makes as the same level of investment can be made in both the upland and swampy areas.
“In the upland areas of Ezillo for instance, one can make N300,000 but we cultivate in Ezillo because there is a rice variety called Faro 44 which is genetically modified and yields more in such areas.
“We are at least breaking even, do not engage in these most times for the profit but profit making should not be 100 per cent returns at all times.
The Tide source who visited Onwe’s rice farms in Ezillo and Ikwo reported that they covered a large expanse of lands with several workers on them.