Communique from 2011 Review Meeting

 OGUN STATE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (OGADEP)
Multinational Nerica Rice Dissemination Project(MNRDP)
2011 annual review meeting for Nerica stakeholders
                      Communiqué
The 2011 Annual Review Meeting was held at the OGADEP Headquarters on Wednesday, 16th February 2011. The meeting commenced  at 9.30am with the arrival and registration of participants. This was followed by introduction of guests  to the high table by the desk officer, Mr. A.O. Osiyoye. The opening prayer said by a NERICA Rice farmer, Mr.A.Akinbo. This was followed by farmers’ anthem. Welcome address and good will messages were given  by the Programme Manager Mr.I.O.Phillips, MNRDP-Abuja Dr.A.O.Adejobi, and RIFAN Chairman Pastor Bode Adenekan. The reasons for the Review Meeting was enunciated by the desk officer. Dr.A.O. Adejobi spoke on the nutritional and yield values of Nerica. Then there was a section on the views of farmers on the way forward for Nerica Project.
In attendance were P.M. OGADEP Mr.I.O. Philllips, Director of Extension Otunba Moyo Owotomo,, Director of  Technical service Mr. B.O.Abiodun , Head of WIA Mrs M.O.Osiyoye, Head of Extension Miss T.O.Ayansanwo, Principal Agroprocessor, Mr. B.O. Obembe, Nerica rice farmers , Processors ,from different LGAs in Ogun State, and Nerica Staff from OGADEP Headquarters and Extension Agents.’
The Programme Manager, Mr.I.O.Phillips, Rep. from MNRDP-Abuja, Dr.A.    O.Adejobi and the Desk-Officer Mr.A.O.Osiyoye and RIFAN Chairman\\ Pastor Bode Adenekan. also went to Gateway Television for public sensitization on NERICA Rice Project at the Kaaro ojire Programme .
It was a one-day programme which discussed problems militating against Nerica and the solutions.
Participants identified marketing as a major constraint of NERICA Rice. The following salient issues were agreed upon:
a.    Two (2) Milling & destoning machines to be given to Ogun State NERICA Desk office by MNRDP Abuja
b.    Provision of a tractor and its complements for NERICA Rice farmers in Ogun State by MNRDP Abuja
c.    Each farmer should adopt conditional marketing for NERICA rice..
d.    RIFAN should take up the marketing of Nerica Rice by sourcing for markets in the neighbouring Ekiti and Nasarawa states.
e.    Training on processing of Nerica should be conducted for frontline extension agents and farmers.
f.    Milling & destining machine should be centrally located.
g.    Farmers enumerated the qualities of Nerica Rice-1 variety based on their field experience as follows:
1.    Drought tolerance
2.    Early maturity
3.    High tolerance to disease
h.    An average yield of 1.7mt per ha of rice field was received by the rice growers in Ogun State in the 2011 planting season. The yield potential of Nerica rice is 2.5mt -3.0mt per ha.
i.    The low yield of harvest attributed to thewrong planting distance in seed establishment. Extension Agents are to be trained on the correct planting distance for onward step down training to farmers on the field.
j.    Processed Nerica should be sold at N1,300 per 7kg


The training was rounded-up by 2\.30pm
15th February, 2011.

      Mr.I.O.Phillips           
………………..       Dr.A.O.Adejobi  …              Pastor Bode Adenekan  Mr.AO.Osiyoye…………….   
PM. OGADEP        Rep. of NPC                    Farmer Rep.              Desk office