We will increase upland rice production says NCRI, Ibadan station.

Can you introduce yourself and your plan through your mandate to increase upland rice production in this ecological region?

I am Shokalu  Olumide, Assistant Director, National Cereal Research Institute(NCRI) and head, Ibadan station. What I am going to share with you is about upland rice. Basically this station has the mandate for research and development of upland rice. We have two ecologies that grow rice, one is swamp rice popularly “ akuro” or Fadama. While upland rice is the one that can grow rice like both maize and yam, and that is what we are intending to carry out with our research technology that will start from march-April 2015, as we are starting our planting April that may extend to June. We have been given the responsibility by the minister to expand upland rice production in this region particularly in Oyo state and its environ because many farmers do not have the improved upland variety.

Speaking on rice sufficiency between now and 1015-2017 be said it is an interface of many factors as there is high demand for rice, but policy issue should favour production with stiff measure on importation of rice. So local production must be encouraged to favour our farmers. I must say my Executive Director is not ready to compromise unproductiveness, so we have a lot of work to do from now on.