The United Kingdom (UK) has assisted in the introduction of Nigeria Systems of Rice Intensification (SRI), a climate-smart agricultural practice that would lead to efficient rice production
The introduced system can lead to reduction of input costs by 50 per cent, with less use of water, doubling yields for farmers and reducing GHG emissions.
A statement yesterday by the Senior Press & Public Affairs Officer and Communications Lead, Prosperity and Economic Development, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, Ndidiamaka Eze, read: “Since 2021, the UK Government’s LINKS programme implemented by Tetra Tech International Development has been piloting a couple of climate smart farming initiatives; helping farmers to increase yields and become more resilient in the face of climate change while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
At the event participants heard from farmers based in Kano and Jigawa who were trained to use the SRI method explain how the change had benefited their lives and that of their communities. They also heard from Silvex International, a LINKS partner and aggregator who is planning to expand SRI to over 1,000 hectares in the coming years that will ensure benefits throughout the value chain. With this positive start, SRI is set to help Nigeria on the road to rice self-sufficiency as well as improving the environment for all.
