Rice is one of the most consumed meals in Nigeria, and has consumption rate of 32kg per capita per annum. Its consumption has increased by 4.7 percent in the last decade, almost four times the global consumption growth, and has reached 6.4 million tons in 2017, accounting for 20 percent of Africa’s consumption.
According to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), it has been estimated that increasing the mechanisation rate in Nigeria from 0.3hp/ha to 0.8hp/ha can double rice production to 7.2 million tons if the current stock of machinery is tripled, as against its current state over the next 5 years.
As of 2011, rice accounted for 10 percent of household food spending, and 6.6 percent of total household spending. Rice production in Nigeria reached a peak of 3.7 million tons in 2017.
Mechanisation is the process of changing from working largely or exclusively by hand or with animals to doing that work with machinery.
Nigeria’s mechanisation gap provides numerous openings for investment across the agricultural value chain. To attract the required investment, the government needs to create an enabling environment that ensures mechanisation is profitable.
In terms of priorities, the government should concentrate on addressing challenges around land tenure and ownership, providing rural infrastructure and extension services, and ensuring incentives are transparent and accessible to all investors.
Adequate rice production is central to global food security, as it is a common food consumed by over 50 percent of the world’s population; it provides 19 percent of global human per capita energy and 13 percent of per capita protein.
Aside being relied on as a major source of food, rice has also contributed to employment as its production cuts across 144 million rice farms, mostly smaller than 1 hectare. It is a predominant staple crop in Nigeria, produced in over 18 of 36 states.
Production of the commodity has increased at an annual average of 3.7 percent over the past decade, reaching 3.7 million tons in 2017. Nigeria is currently producing between 5.8 million and 6 million tons.
The increase in economic growth as a result of the oil discovery has raised per capita incomes and consumption; the focus on the oil sector has led to the neglect of the agriculture sector, resulting in slower growth in production.
Studies have shown that mechanisation plays an active role in the promotion of rice production. According to a study conducted by Sultana et al 2015, the study analysed the drivers of increased rice production in five sub-Saharan African countries, including Nigeria, farmers who ploughed with a tractor increased their production by 51 percent relative to those who utilised manual methods.
Mechanisation reduces production costs and post-harvest losses, according to Uprety, the introduction of mechanisation in rice farming reduced production costs by 27 percent and increased profits per hectare by 36 percent in Nepal.
This can be replicated in Nigeria to reduce the production cost, which is 6.9 percent over the 3.17 percent hectares cultivated in 2016.
Also, according to the AfricaRice policy, it stated that the use of appropriate technologies could reduce a country’s rice imports by 15 percent.
Technology holds great potential to positively impact agricultural performance and enhance farmers’ income, provided that it is made readily available.
Mobile coverage in rural Nigeria is estimated at 24 percent, and this provides an important platform to raise mechanisation through technology.
To enhance rice production in Nigeria, it would require increased investments in agricultural mechanisation by development agencies, financial institutions and other private sector investors.
Thus, the government needs to create an enabling environment that ensures mechanisation is profitable to the producers, investors and the consumers.
