Report on Training Workshop on Rice Seed Production for Agro Processing Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) Project and Rice-Based Product held at Cappa Bar, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nigeria

Rice seed Production: 10 – 12 June 2019

Rice-Based Product Development: 13 – 15 June 2019

Compiled by AZEEZ, Oluwakemi Sadiat

Context

The problem of food insecurity is a big challenge in Nigeria. Seed mixtures and lack of good quality rice seed is a common phenomenon and major constraint to rice production in Nigeria. Farmers do not have enough quantity of rice seed for production. The little quantity they have contain impurities and mixtures. Many seed producers lack basic knowledge on production of quality rice seeds. Thus, the need to strengthen the capacities of rice seed and paddy producers on fundamental tenet involved in rice seed/paddy production. Agro Processing Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) Project of the Lagos State in conjunction with AfricaRice Center (AfricaRice) and Agriculture and Food Production Initiative (AFPI) was to strengthen the capacities of farmers and seed producers and community-based seed producers to undergo the training. Thirty-Two trainees attended the training workshop on rice seed production and five women participated in the rice-based product processing options and crop utilization. The APPEALS collaboration was based on technical support and knowledge transfer on rice seed production and rice-based product development technologies to the APPEALS farmers. The training included series of classroom lectures and PowerPoint presentations and field practical sessions from raising nursery beds to setting up of rice seed production/paddy fields and rice-based product development as an alternative to wheat importation. 

Goal: The overall goal is to ensure that Nigeria attains self-sufficiency in rice production through access and availability of good quality seed of released rice varieties as well as empower women on rice-based product for income.

Objective: To enhance farmers’ access to quality rice seed and also make quality paddy available to millers/processors.

The overall training objectives

1. The overall objective is to train rice farmers on seed production and women on rice-based processing options that will create self-employment opportunities and improve household income.
2. To provide an alternative source of livelihood for rice farmers and women through building their skills in seed production and rice-based product for economic opportunities within the rice-value chain.

Key activities – Seed production 

Activity 1

• Choice of land, Recommended varieties, Choice of land, Nursery seed bed, Land preparation, Transplanting, Fertilizer application, Water management, Weed control, Rouging Post-harvest processing and product handling principles
• Nursery Bed Preparation, Field Practices, Seeding,

Activity 2

• Principle and practice of seed production, Seed quality control, Genetic purity maintenance

Activity 3

• Harvesting, threshing storage and quality control

Key activities – Rice-based product processing options and crop utilization

Activity 1

• Rice-based product development.
• Post-harvest processing and product handling principles

Activity 2

• Principles and practices in product development
• Rice-based product branding

Activity 3

• Standard product development rules 
• Product storage principles and management
• Product shelf life assurance and standard

Opening session

The trainees arrived the venue of the training workshop at Cappa bar of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Ibadan on Monday, 17 June, 2019 and were registered. A total of Thirty-Seven (37) trainees attended the classroom and field sessions on rice seed production of which five (5) women participated in the rice-based product processing options and crop utilization. Mrs. Seyi Williams on behalf of AfricaRice Regional Representative, Dr. Francis Nwilene welcome all the trainees to training workshop and encourage them to take advantages of their access to IITA campus as a training ground and use this opportunity to learn.

Introduction

In June 2019, thirty-seven trainees sponsored by Agro-Processing Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (Appeals) Project were trained by Africa Rice Centre (AfricaRice) in conjunctions with Agriculture Food Production Initiative (AFPI) on Rice seed production and rice-based product development. The training was practical approaches which was reinforce with applied field demonstrations. The training covered all facets of seed production ranging from land selection, land preparation to Post-Harvest and storage operations for the seed production component and hand-on job training for rice-based product processing option and crop utilization for women. This was essential because rice is a food staple food in Nigeria; hence there is the potential of providing gainful employment within the rice value chain. With the spike in unemployment rate in Nigeria, it is not only wise to harness the energies of youths who make up the bulk of the unemployed, within the rice value chain but also economically rewarding. Each trainee received a copy of the training manual on rice seed production and rice-based product processing options and crop utilization. The two aspect of the training sessions (rice seed production and rice-based product processing option and crop utilization) was thoroughly explained by the facilitators. Ten (10) rice-based product was developed by the trainees following the trainer’s instruction and training manual. PowerPoint presentations were made available to trainees.  At the end of each presentation, all questions were tackled to the delight of the trainees. After the completion of the training programme, each trainee was issued a certificate.

Table 1: List of APPEALS trainees that participated in rice seed production and rice-based product development and crop utilization

Photos of training activities: Rice seed production component

A. Registration and collection of training materials

B. Classroom session and PowerPoint presentation

C. Preparation for field activities and next step

D. Field practical session

  E. Field planting

F. Demonstration of simple rice equipment

G. Group photograph of training facilitators and trainees with their certificate

Photos of training activities: Rice-Based production and crop utilization option component

A.   Registration of trainees

B. Facilitator on group discussions with trainees

C. Trainees demonstrating the use of extruder

D. Facilitator demonstration through participatory hand-on-job learning approach

E. Facilitator on group discussions with trainees

F. Trainees on hand-on-job session doing it on their own

G. 10 Rice-Based product through participatory learning developed by the trainees

H. Trainees with staff of the organization and APPEALS Officers

Summary

Rice is a staple food in Nigeria and other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In recent times, Nigeria has become interested in rice production and this is a step in the right direction as it has led to provision of jobs for youths within the rice value chain and entrepreneurship development. It is expected that within a short time, there would be enough rice grain to diversify its utilization. Beyond the conventional methods of consumption, which is usually boiling or cooking with other condiments, rice can be finely milled into rice flour. Rice flour can be substituted for wheat in the production of gluten-free meals and this is a better option for individuals with gluten intolerance. Gluten intolerance can be identified from childhood especially when children start rejecting snacks made with wheat flour. Of the Thirty-Seven (37) Agro-Processing Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) Project trainees from Lagos State, five women were trained in the production of rice-based products using simple recipes techniques. The training is an empowerment tool for potential entrepreneurs in rice-based product processing options as a base business venture for women and youths, reducing post-harvest losses as well as increasing their social livelihood as well as increasing household income. The recent advancement in crop utilization and development of post-harvest options for rice has made it possible to convert these losses into socio economic opportunities and diversified crop use for profitable and sustainable rice-based product marketing. The rice recipe training will lead to increased rice production, increased demand for rice grain, rice flour by confectionery and baking industries leading to significant public and private sector investments. This improvement is expected to push national production to meet demand. The training program on rice recipes, rice-based product development has already created niche for business opportunities for the women that participated in the programme.  

Post-harvest losses are a common phenomenon and major constraint facing rice base processing options in Nigeria. Today, broken rice can be converted into rice flour for recipe-based product processing. Agro-Processing Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) Project in its bid to tackle as well as alleviate poverty challenges and create business opportunities for rural women and youths and in partnership with AfricaRice and Agriculture and Food Production Initiative (AFPI) has trained five women from Lagos State. The main emphasis of APPEALS was enhancing the productivity and profitability of smallholder farmers and small/medium-scale agro-processors by improving their access to markets while the primary goal is to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable economic growth with specific development objective to increase the household income, enhance food security households engaged in production; processing and marketing of in the targeted Local Government Areas of the State.

Expected benefits from the training using rice flour for rice-based product

• Potential to increase the rice farmers’ income by increasing value.
• Rice grain can readily be milled into rice flour and can supply supermarkets and consumption rates of the primary form are high. There is scope for homegrown demand that can increase competitiveness of rice-based products
• Higher digestible protein in rice flour than wheat flour.
• Lower calorie content compared with wheat flour.
• High fiber content.
• Can possibly save foreign exchange expenditures and create additional market for rice-based product enterprises in Nigeria.

Conclusion

A total of 37 trainees from APPEALS Lagos were trained. Thirty-Two were trained in rice seed production and five were trained in rice-based product processing for commercialization and income generation. The Thirty-Seven trainees received certificate according to their training specialization at the end of the training workshop. It is expected that APPEALS team give further technical support to the trainees to ensure sustainability as well as increase the number of trainees in the future.