Rice farmers in the Zabzuku District in the Northern Region have appealed to the government, for urgent assistance to secure a combined harvester that will enable them to reap their bumper harvest before it is destroyed by wildfires.
They urged relevant authorities to intervene promptly, emphasizing that timely support would salvage thousands of tons of rice and enhance local food security.
“We are appealing to the government and benevolent organizations, Ministry of Agriculture to come to our aid if they could build us a warehouse ” one farmer appealed.
The farmers further revealed that this year’s planting season has resulted in an unusually high yield, but they are confronted with significant challenges, including inadequate mechanized harvesting equipment and a non-existent ready market to sell their produce.
“There is currently no ready market for our rice, yet we have to harvest, pay labor costs, and sell some of our produce.
Storage is also a major problem, as there is not a single buyer available”, another farmer indicated.
Contributor; Ernest Kelvin Okanta
