Rice Farm: My Experience in a Rice Farm

I visited a rice farm some where in Ogun state, where i had a chat with a farmer that owns a rice farm. He taught me about rice farming and the challenges that comes with it.

Rice farming is a very good and lucrative business if it is done the right way. The responsibility that comes with it is so overwhelming that a huge investment can be lost at a slight mistake.

The two major factors to consider in rice farming is water and birds. The land must be swampy, it must be close to stream or an irrigation system must be constructed. Birds are very attracted to rice farms because they feed on the rice.

I visited the farm and met workers chasing birds away from the farm. I was made to understand that controlling birds from feeding on the rice is a major challenge. For rice farming at least two persons per acre to scare those birds away from the rice. They are being paid at least 30k for that purpose 24hrs for a period of 21 days. The alternative is to spread nets over the rice farm to prevent birds from invading. These nets cost not less than 200k on one acre of rice. The small scale farmers use Man power and different tactics to control these birds.

The implication of not tackling the bird issue is that the birds will eat up the rice. Rice farming is not as easy when compared to preparation for a meal. It is suitable for farmers who are smart, strong willed and experienced.