From Farm To Christmas Table: Bayelsa Races To Deliver 300 Tonnes Of Local Rice
By MAY ETAGHERURE ATUZULO
THE Bayelsa State Government has set a target of producing 300 tonnes of locally branded rice by the end of 2026. At the same time, Governor Douye Diri has urged young people to embrace agriculture as a source of employment, income and food security.
Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Beke Sese, announced the target on Friday during the 2026 World Food Day celebration in Yenagoa. He said the government’s rice milling plant was operational, while its products were undergoing laboratory analysis and nutritional certification ahead of their market launch.
According to Sese, the state is cultivating 106 hectares of rice and purchasing paddy from supplying communities. This arrangement, he explained, gives farmers greater confidence by providing a potential market for their harvests.
The commissioner added that the milling plant has a stated processing capacity of 410 tonnes daily. However, the government did not disclose how much rice it had already produced towards the year-end target.
Meanwhile, Diri, represented by Deputy Governor Peter Akpe, called on young people to see farming as a viable career rather than an option of last resort. Speaking at the event, held at the Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall, the governor said agriculture could create jobs, generate wealth and reduce dependence on food supplies from outside the state.
He also highlighted government-backed agricultural programmes across Bayelsa’s eight local government areas. Since 2020, Sese said, more than 17,300 farmers had received support through initiatives such as the Accelerated Agricultural Development Scheme, Diri BOOST and the Prosperity Farmers Grant Scheme.
In 2026 alone, 2,106 farmers, fishers and processors reportedly received grants to expand their production and processing activities.
Beyond rice cultivation, the state is pursuing other measures to strengthen agricultural output. Diri said the government had distributed seedlings and farm inputs to farmers and partnered with the Central Bank of Nigeria to install rice mills at Niger Delta University and the Federal University, Otuoke.
Additionally, the administration has launched a dry-season farming programme at Otuasega Farm in Ogbia Local Government Area. It has also partnered with CSS Integrated Farms to train young people in modern agricultural methods.
Given Bayelsa’s riverine terrain, flooding and declining wild fish stocks, Diri urged farmers to adopt flood-tolerant crops, soilless farming and modern aquaculture. He also called for investment in food processing, storage and cold-chain facilities to reduce post-harvest losses.
The governor further appealed to financial institutions to improve access to credit for smallholder farmers. He encouraged households and civil servants to practise backyard farming, while promising continued government support through access roads, bridges, farming settlements and better security for farmers and their crops.
Diri also warned herders against attacking farmers, stressing that the state’s law prohibiting open grazing remained in force. He commended the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises in the Niger Delta programme for helping young people establish agribusinesses.
At the celebration, National President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Farouk Mudi, presented Diri with an Award of Excellence, naming him the country’s best governor in agricultural connectivity and farmers’ support. Mudi said the recognition followed the association’s assessment of agricultural programmes across the states.
Ultimately, Bayelsa’s 300-tonne rice target will depend on sustained production, reliable supplies from farmers, successful certification and effective distribution. Diri has directed the agriculture ministry to ensure the locally branded product reaches residents during the Christmas and New Year festivities.
