Ofada rice remains a cherished species made popular by Ofada town in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State. But, KEHINDE OYETIMI and OLAYINKA OLUKOYA, after a visit to the town, report the farmers' apprehension and frustration.The spread that was all of Ofada town appeared rugged-looking with prominent masculine features. Its undulating topography and its twin stretch of housing varieties gave away the evolvement that the town had undergone. Nothing announced its prominence as a town that was once an agricultural delight, specialising in a species of rice aptly named after it. Ofada looked sleepy and showed an unreadiness to be aroused.With very few residents around that Wednesday afternoon, Nigerian Tribune found the company of 47-year-old Akeem Onabiyi, an indigene of the town, quite useful when he agreed to satisfy the tour yearnings of the crew. With a glass of beverage seated in front of him and the pleasing presence of his friend, Onabiyi idled away.Onabiyi's mood took a downward turn when he was asked what had happened to that rare species named 'Ofada' rice after the name of the town. With a disturbed countenance, Onabiyi reminisced about the frustrations that drove him away from the cultivation of the rice.'I started the cultivation of Ofada rice in 1991. My first harvest earned me about N4,000. From the proceeds, I was able to buy a plot of land for N3,000 and the extra N1,000 was used for other things.'Today, I have built my house and all thanks to the rice farming .Though I have a car, I still farm and you can see how rough my hands look from constant farming. But much happened that scared me from the job. Ofada rice farming is very strenuous; it is not like planting other crops or species of rice,' he said.Before the decline...Ofada ranked prominently given its cultivation and sale of its peculiar species of rice. In many outdoor engagements and even at restaurants, it is common to find people show their preference for the locally-made rice referred to as 'Ofada rice.'A large majority of the residents prided themselves in the cultivation and sale of the rice whose proceeds were used in the satisfaction of their daily needs. Aside its nutritive value, Ofada rice became loved by a large majority of the public because of its aromatic allure.Over the years, however, what became obvious was the sharp decline in the cultivation of the rice by members of the community. While it is true that the same species of rice can be found in other places, what became disturbing is the fact that the vocation which placed the town in global light has been abandoned.A first-timer who would have heard of the town's renown for the cultivation of the rice would expect to see in the town a stretch of rice farms in pale gold glistering in the morning sun. Today, buildings of various magnitudes spring up in what used to be the lush Ofada rice farms.'It would be difficult to go back to planting it'Onabiyi told Nigerian Tribune of the processes involved in the cultivation of the rice. 'Ofada rice is quite different from the polished rice that people eat. It is more delicious and nutritious. After planting the rice, it takes about two to three months before the rice can be harvested. After harvesting, the rice goes through some processes to make it edible. In fact, one has to be very careful when handling the grains because once the seeds are dispersed carelessly they begin to germinate again.'To prevent this, we store the grains on raised platforms from the ground and bring the bags down only when people are ready to buy,' he said.Speaking further, Onabiyi argued that when others, like him, discovered that the hardships associated with the cultivation were unbearable, they decided to quit.According to him: 'The cultivation of Ofada rice is very profitable but the challenges are many. I have come to believe that there is a spiritual dimension to this. Once it is time for harvesting, strange birds feast on the grains even before they are harvested. This results in great loss to the farmer. Many of us tried to employ spiritual means to scare the birds but the more we tried, the more impossible it became. In fact, we went as far as carrying out spiritual sacrifices.'Early in the morning, these birds get to the farm before anybody else and start eating the rice. In order to prevent this, we get to the farm by 6 a.m. and stay in the farms till 7 p.m. when we are sure that the birds would have gone. If this is not done, all the grains would have been devoured before the next day by the birds. We have also discovered that those who tried to plant this particular species of rice in other places are faced with similar difficulties.'There are still farmers who engage in its cultivation but they are now very few. Many of us prefer to plant cassava instead. I have stopped planting Ofada rice; I now plant cassava and corn,' he revealed.He added that the community's youths have no regard for the cultivation of Ofada rice because of the trouble associated with it and lack of government support.'I cultivate a 7-acre Ofada rice farm with just hoe and cutlass'An elderly Iliamin Kiliaso, an Ofada rice farmer, told the Nigerian Tribune that the vocation had become unbearable because of the non-commitment of the government in assisting Ofada rice farmers.Lamenting, he stated that 'the government hardly shows commitment to helping us. We get no fertilizers from them. It is sad.'I have been planting Ofada rice for more than 30 years now. I was born into Ofada rice business and my parents made sure I learnt how to grow the rice. Unfortunately, the younger generation is not interested in its cultivation anymore. I am getting old now and I have a farm that is four times the size of this place; there is so much stress in the cultivation of the rice. And I cannot farm like I used to anymore so I do not have a really large produce.'The greatest problem I face is the mysterious birds that eat the rice. The people we employ to work on the farm charge us a whole lot of money, N20, 000 being the least amount. After the rice has passed its initial growth stage, we are always in dire need of fertilizer but unfortunately, we never get any from the ever-promising government. The most crucial stage of the rice is when it begins to produce seeds. The birds come back again and even if the bird-chasers decide to charge us N50, 000 for their services we have to yield to their demands, if not, we will have no harvest.'What is quite noticeable across many parts of the country where Ofada rice is being sold is the fact that it is costlier than other species of rice. Kiliaso explained the reason behind this, blaming it on the cost of cultivating the rice and lack of access roads to the market.A major disturbing twist to the predicament of the Ofada rice farmers is the conversion of large parts of the community's farmlands to the construction of housing estates.With this, the farmers complain that they have to make do with the small portions of farmlands rented out to them.According to another farmer who simply identified himself as Taiwo Kiliaso, this is also responsible for the lack of commitment to the cultivation of the rice by would-be farmers.According to him, 'It is sad that almost all the portions of land that we use in the cultivation of the rice are being sold out. We are forced to rent acres of land so that we can cultivate Ofada rice. This is very bad. This job is really demanding and we cannot really go far if the government does not come to our aid.'Today, a large basin of Ofada rice goes for N10, 000. We go through so much stress. On many occasions people have come to speak to us but we have received no help. They promised so much but they did nothing. Our hopes have been dashed repeatedly.'We know that Ofada rice is a very different type of rice; it tastes better than the polished one you eat. Sorry to say, but the city dwellers have been deprived of the real sumptuous rice. The polished rice you eat cannot be compared to Ofada rice. You do not even have to add any sauce or stew to sweeten the taste of Ofada rice.'A female farmer, who simply identified herself as Bilikisu, told Nigerian Tribune that it is sad that soon, the cultivation of Ofada rice in the town would be a thing of the past. 'It is very disturbing. We can barely get any support. With the way things are going, the cultivation of Ofada rice will be a thing of the past in this community,' she said.Another farmer, Mr Oyeniyi Oyebamiji, said the invasion of wild birds and grasscutters usually destroy their rice farms when the crops are mature for harvesting, so also do grass cutters.He said that rice farmers engage people on the farms to disperse birds between the hours of 6.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m. on a daily basis for about a month when they can no longer feed on the rice stalks.'Apart from funding, birds destroying the rice farms before maturity are our greatest challenge. We have to engage some labourers to chase the wild birds away for about 12 hours each day which may last for a period of one month.'We need government support and other relevant agencies to procure sprayers for us to kill pests destroying our crop and also to train us on how to operate the sprayers,' Oyebamiji said.He alleged that funds, when available, were disbursed among some large scale farmers at the detriment of local and small scale rice farmers.He also called on the government to make community roads accessible from the farms to the towns, to enable farmers transport their goods without much ado.In a swift reaction, the Deputy Director of Agriculture Services, Ogun State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs. Olubunmi Sodiya, described the allegations of the rice farmers as untrue.She explained that government at the state level on different occasions had asked them to register with the ministry for any necessary assistance.'Their allegations are not true. We have always announced that rice farmers should come and register with us for assistance. Some of them came to us from Eegua in Yewa North Local Government Area, Ifo and Onidundun in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area.'We will start harvesting what rice farmers in Eegua and Onidundun have on their farms by September. They are the ones that did not come up to register with us and it is even good that this complaint is coming at this time, because next week we are trying to register rice farmers since the federal and state governments are willing to help them. You can give them my number so that they can register with us for assistance,'she added.With the blame game going on, it is only expected that the agriculture sector which remains at its lowest in the country is given the required priority.
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