Rice Farming Business In Nigeria: Quick Facts You Should Know


The main reason why it seems as if the rise in the
 demand of rice is on the increase is basically because rice is one of the major Nigerian food,millions of Nigerians eat rice everyday,in a country of over 200 million people,the demand for rice will always be higher than the supply. 

 In this article we shall list some of the quick facts about rice farming in Nigeria such as information about how to make money from rice farming,rice production,risks of rice farming Etc. 
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Apart from Nigeria,rice is also one of the most consumed food in the world, countries like China,Thailand,Indonesia Etc consume and produce a lot of rice also. 

You may have asked yourself this question,why should I start rice farming business in Nigeria? 


The answer is not far fetched, Nigeria does not produce a lot of rice for it's citizens,although it claims to be the largest producer of rice in West Africa and the third in Africa producing about 3 million metric tons on a yearly basis while the local demand is placed at more than 5 million tons per year. 

This however has caused the government and individual importers to start importing foreign rice from countries such as Thailand and other Asian countries. 

Currently rice production business is now very lucrative,as the federal government of Nigeria has banned the importation of foreign rice,with the aim of boosting the local production of rice.

Apart from oil and gas sector in Nigeria,the Agricultural sector is the second most lucrative business sector to invest in. 
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Listed below are the quick facts that you should know before you venture into the business of rice production in Nigeria.

Rice Farming Business In Nigeria: Quick Facts You Should Know

  • 1. The botanical name of rice is Oryza sativa,it is also the world's second most popular cereal after maize.
  • 2. The high demand for rice has risen mainly because of Nigeria's population number that seems to be on the increase on a yearly basis.

  • See Also: How To Start Plantain Farming Business In Nigeria 

  • 3. It takes about four months for a rice crop to be ready for harvest.
  • 4. Soft loans are sometimes given to rice farmers by the government to encourage rice farmers and attract more people to the business. 
  • 5. Starting up a rice farm is actually quite easy,plus you can also feed yourself and your family from the proceeds of your yield,however the cost of setting up a rice farm might be higher if you are going to buy the plot of land,till the ground,application 
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  • of artificial irrigation channels,buying of rice seeds and cost of rice solarisation might be factors that might add extra cost when your setting up your farm. 
  • 6. The demand for rice is too high in Nigeria,you don't necessarily need to market it.
  • 7. Rice can grow in all types of land,but it thrives on swampy lands,that is basically why farmers need to adopt artificial irrigation techniques for their rice farm.Selecting a fertile land with a moderately high water holding capacity is ideal,the most desirable soil in rice farming is the clay soil.
  • 8. Most times it's difficult to get a swampy land,but that can be constructed by using a tractor and channeling water to the rice farm for irrigation which is suitable for your rice crop. 
  • 9. Before planting your rice,make sure that you manually  select the healthy seeds for planting,this will help you to produce high returns.
  • 10. After about 16 weeks when your rice crop is ready for harvest,a hauling machine will be needed to separate the haul from the grain. 
  • 11. Rice farms attract pests,you should make sure that your farm is free from pests.Also make sure that you harvest your crops promptly when due,do not waste time,make sure you 
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  • apply herbicides to control unwanted plants.
  • 12. Another important tip is that you should endeavor to manually select healthy grains of rice from your farm which you will sow the next season.

  • Read Also: How To Start Commercial Goat Farming In Nigeria 

  • 13. You can harvest your crop 2 to 3 times a year,and that is quite lucrative,some farmers refer to rice as the 'get rich quick' crop.
  • 14. Some of the major states known for the production of rice include Ebonyi, Enugu, Anambra,Sokoto, Ogun,Niger, Kogi,some of the varieties of rice grown in Nigeria are the red grain specie,fadama rice,upland rice,lowland rice Etc. 
  • 15. After harvest at the end of the year (November/December) the land should be ploughed and exposed to the sun,the best rice sowing period is around May/June when the rains has started.
  • 16. Store your harvested rice in a cool,dry rodent proof environment. 

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