Prospects and Challenges of Sustainable Rice Production in Igbemo Ekiti, Southwest Nigeria

Year 2018, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 125 - 143, 29.10.2018

Johnson Olaosebikan Aremu Bolarinwa Akinwamide

Abstract

This is
a historical survey research with focus on the sustainability of indigenous
rice production in Igbemo Ekiti, Southwest Nigeria. Igbemo Ekiti is
predominantly an agrarian community known for the production of large quantity
of indigenous rice popularly called Igbemo rice. This local rice was available
in most major markets in Nigeria up till the 1980s. However, many farmers
previously engaged in the planting of Igbemo rice have abandoned it for other
businesses because of the challenges confronting the indigenous rice industry.
The lands used for cultivating Igbemo rice have been deployed to the
cultivation of other crops. Imported polished rice has since overtaken the
place of Igbemo rice in the market. The rice business is indeed on the verge of
extinction in the town. Consequently, this paper examines the origin, growth
and decline of Igbemo rice Industry. It documents the numerous challenges
confronting local rice production in the areas of cultivation, harvesting,
processing and marketing of Igbemo rice. The paper concludes that Igbemo rice
industry has great potentials for sustenance and expansion if advanced
technology is deployed and stakeholders in the industry are given adequate
incentives by Government. The method
adopted for the study is basically historical, involving the use of both
primary and secondary source materials. One hundred and fifty (150) informants
were purposively selected and interviewed using unstructured questions. This
was complemented by visitation to rice farm sites, rice drying locations,
various rice mills and rice marketing centres in Igbemo Ekiti between 2014 and
2017.

Keywords

Rice, Igbemo-Ekiti, Nigeria, Ekiti State, Agriculture

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