Rice Disease Threatens Production Capacity In Nigeria Bauchi State

Nigeria drive to increase local production of rice is under threat with a fresh attack of disease suspected to be Rice Blast in some farmland in Bauchi state.

The disease which was said to have ravaged farmlands in Ayaya near Adabda in Gamawa Local Government Area of the State is threatening production of the commodity.
The District Head of Gamawa, Alhaji Adamu Abdulkadir Dahuwa, disclosed on Saturday that the disease, noticed in the area in the last three weeks, had destroyed about 20 hectares of rice farms, parts of 2018/2019 dry season farming.
“The invasion of the disease suspected by experts as destructive fungal infestation has wreaked havoc, infesting about 20 hectares of rice farms across the area.
“I detected the disease in my farm in late May when the crops were reaping and when the good dry season we experienced in the area raised hopes of a decent harvest.
“It is very difficult to assess the extent of damage to yields as the crops are at varying stages of growth,” he stressed.
“This is an alien pest because we have never recorded such pests in the last four years we have been carrying out irrigated (dry season) farming in the afected areas.
“We were not able to report the invasion to government officials but I am making it public now since I have spotted an official from the Bauchi State Agricultural Development Authority (BSADP) who is here on a condolence visit.
“I know he will carry the news to BSADP that most of the times is responsible for pests control in the state,” the district head said.
He, therefore, called on appropriate authorities to come to their assistance to avoid future occurrence.
Efforts made to obtain official side of the story from the Programme Manager, BSADP, Dr Illiyasu Gital, proved abortive as he was not on seat.
An official with the Department of Crops Protection, BSADP, who pleaded for anonymity, confirmed that “we heard of pocket cases of the disease but it was not officially reported to us.
“The state is ill-prepared for the pest due to lack of information or warnings, so farmers cannot identify such scourge.
“The farmers equally lack the knowledge and requisite skills on how to contain the damages,” he said.
The official who claimed that he had visited the affected areas on different assignments, confirmed that significant hectares of farms were affected.
“The disease is much more damaging to rice and it is harder to detect and eradicate because it has a dispersal capacity of over 2,000km per annum.
“It might occur due to a combination of ecological and climatic factors such as weather patterns, mono-cropping, the introduction of new species and pests migration,” he added.