Alhaji Ibrahim Salihu, the state Chairman of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) stated this on Thursday when the association visited some of the affected farms.
Rice farmers in Sokoto State have lost an estimated 61,197.5 tonnes of rice valued at N27.5 billion due to flood.
Alhaji Ibrahim Salihu, the state Chairman of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) stated this on Thursday when the association visited some of the affected farms.
Salihu also noted that the flood affected 19,000 rice farmers across the 23 local government areas of the state, NAN reported.
He said: “Based on the estimates, the cultivated farms’ yields lost to floods are 61,197.5 tonnes, because farms were submerged by rainwater and crops destroyed before harvest.
“Yields lost can be quantified to be 3,059,875 bags, while if converted to money each bag of 100kg is N9,000 at open market, therefore, at least about N27,538,879, 000 was lost."
Noting that the farmers had reached out to the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Company (NAIC) for remedy, he appealed to the Federal Government to come to the aid of the affected farmers.
Officials of Central Bank of Nigeria, Unity Bank, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, NAIC and RIFAN National President, Alhaji Aminu Goronyo were part of the inspection team, which visited Goronyo Dam, Takakume, Falaliya, Lakoba and Wurno Rice Farms, among other affected areas.