Rice is the most
consumed food in this part of the world. Most of the rice consumed in Nigeria
are imported from other countries. Starting a rice farm is a rewarding venture
to consider due to the large population and big market for rice. Rice unlike
many other food crops doesn’t take longer than 4 months to germinate and be
ready for harvest. Rice is a very high yield crop and it is straightforward to
plant and maintain. The market for rice is very huge and fast regardless of its
variety. Rice thrives best in swampy areas and needs proper farm management
during growing season. Good fertilizers can also be applied to improve the
quality of product. Rice farming is a considerable business for experienced
farmers. Irrigation can be considered in areas with limited rainfall.
Tips on starting up a
rice farm:
Land
preparations: a good land with fertile soil in
swampy areas is the types of soil considerable for rice farming purposes.
Appropriate land preparations should be done and healthy seeds should be used
when planting
Farm
practices: weeding, application of fertilizers and other farm
practices should be done in the course of the planting period so as to achieve
optimum quality of harvest. After is mostly done four months after planting of
rice.
Capital:
apart from the acquisition of the farm land, the capital investment required
starting up a rice farm is not too huge. Acquisition of seeds and preparation
of irrigation system are mostly where the capital goes to. Buying of
fertilizers and paying for labour could also be planned for.
Dehulling:
this is a process that is required of any rice farmer. Dehulling is the removal
of the outer shell of the rice. Dehulling can be done manually or by the use of
machine.Packaging and marketing: it is important to package your farm produce well if you are going to make it easy to transport and appealing to buy. Marketing is also important. This can be done by the various marketing mediums.
Rice is one of those food
crops that will never be exhausted in the market. People consume rice at a very
high rate. This type of farming, if done properly and with good market
strategies. You are likely never to run out of business.