Rice farmers in Bayelsa have said they are well positioned to shun out no fewer than 180,000 metric tons of rice from the Ayamasa and Ofoni rice fields in the Nigerian southern state.
The Chairman of the Bayelsa state chapter of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RFAN), Ezekiel Ogbianko, on Saturday in Ofoni, Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa, said that it had acquired 10,000 hectares of land in the two sites.
“We have gotten the land, 5,000 hectares each from the two communities making it 10,000.
“They have also given us the power of attorney to enable us cultivate the land and the communities have agreed to partner with us in ensuring that the project is achieved.
“We have concluded plans to flag-off plantation; the project will last for 50 years and I believe it will impact positively on the communities.
“From the two lands, we are targeting about 180,000 metric tons annually because we will be having three cropping seasons in a year,” the chairman said.