Rice production in the flood plains of river Benue, Nigeria: prospects and challenges

There exist opportunities to increase rice production in Nigeria as currently rice production is low and consumption level is high. The floodplains of river Benue offer great potential for sustainable large scale rice production. Twentyfive thousand hectares of land bordering river Benue were selected to assess the fertility, texture and drainage status of the soil for rice production, and to suggest possible soil management practices for optimising rice production. Standard field sampling methodologies and soil laboratory procedures were employed. The soils of the area were found suitable for rice production but with certain identified constraints. Apart from the low soil nutrient status of the floodplain, which could be easily mediated with fertiliser application, the most critical limitation related to poor drainage and flooding. To avert this problem, it is recommended that a proper drainage network be designed and executed along with the construction of strategic embankments to prevent flooding of the river Benue.embankments to prevent flooding of the river Benue