Top 10 Highest Rice Producing States In Nigeria 2023

It’s no longer news that the process of making or growing rice has commenced in some selected states in Nigeria. As we all know that there are thirty states that make up the country, including the Federal Capital Territory.

However, not all of these states are involved in the processing and cultivation of rice. There are about twenty-nine states out of the thirty-seven states which are in the process of growing rice. The selected states in this article are the top highest rice producing states in Nigeria.

List Of Highest Rice Producing States In Nigeria

• Kebbi state
• Benue state
• Ebonyi state
• Ekiti state
• Jigawa state
• Kaduna state
• Kano state
• Ogun state
• Niger state
• Cross river state

1. Kebbi State

A state that is well known for its production of rice is Kebbi, so if you are looking for where to purchase a large quantity or amount of rice, look no more, just come straight to Kebbi, and your heart desire will be granted. Kebbi state has documentation of a whopping two million metric tons of rice being gathered and harvested during the rainy season, while there has been documentation of 1.5 million metric tons of rice being gathered in the dry season. Is this not very good? yes it is. Another amazing quality that improves the production of rice in Kebbi state is that they have good marketers that help to promote or sell the rice and convey them to other states.

2. Benue State

Another state that is proudly into the production of rice is Benue State. Yes, so if you can’t go all the way to Kebbi state, you can settle for Benue State, I assure you that you will still get the desired quantity of rice you want to purchase. Have you heard of a country being nicknamed ‘The food basket of the nation?’ If you have, this is the state that is being referred to as such. This state is living up to their nickname, what a lovely name for a country. A record of 500,000MT per year production of rice has been set by the state.

3. Ebonyi state

Ebonyi state is in the southern region of the country and is also one of the highest rice-producing states in Nigeria. Have you ever eaten rice called ‘Abakaliki rice’? Alright, pause and try to remember. If you have, then you definitely have tasted out of the rice from Ebonyi State. Abakaliki rice is a popular rice produced in Ebonyi state. The government of this state has set aside more than eighty thousand hectares of land for the production of rice. So tell me why the state should not be ranked one of the best states in rice production. Another interesting fact is that a capacity of 1.5 million metric tones of rice has been recorded annually.

4. Ekiti State

Ekiti state is yet another state performing excellently in the production of rice. To be able to achieve this, they went into partnership with the Lagos State government on the production of rice. This was done so as to catch up with the growing drift of agriculture in the farming industry. The result of the agreement of these two states was the giving of large hectares of land to over ten thousand rice farmers which led to a corresponding increase in the production and cultivation of rice.

5. Jigawa State

Production of rice is also high in Jigawa state with foresight of more than 2.1 million tons capacity of rice being cultivated in the nearest future. So be on watch out for the increase in rice production in Jigawa state.

6. Kaduna State

Kaduna state is a state in the Northern part of the country which has also taken time to participate in the cultivation of rice. As of now, there are over three hundred and fifty thousand rice farmers in the state. Apart from that, a rice processing plant is currently undergoing construction, this is being done so that the production of rice can be boosted. Annually, a harvest of over two million tons of rice is recorded.

7. Ogun State

This is where the very popular Ofada rice originates from. Many people call it local rice, but I must confess it is very delicious to eat. Ogun state is a major rice-producing and processing state in the country.

8. Kano State

Another good state in the cultivation of rice in Kano state. It has a capacity of 1.6 million tons of rice annually. This was made possible by the initiation of the Full mark rice Mill so as to increase the production of rice.

9. Niger State

This is a state that produces rice in a mass-market quantity. The state is well equipped with the necessary equipment and management to assist the small-scale farmers to invest in rice production. A very interesting fact attributed to this state is that there are over six irrigation edifices in the state. The state, therefore, does not have to worry about poor production of rice in the dry season.

10. Cross–River State

This state is located in the south-south part of the country. It’s also among the countries that produce a high capacity of rice annually.

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Things to note about rice production in Nigeria

• Rice is a very important crop that is grown to be sold rather than for use by the farmer.
• Production of rice in Nigeria is mostly carried out by farmers in a small scope that is especially prevalent in the Northern part of the country.
• Nigeria is one of the largest producers of rice in Africa.
• Other States where rice can be found and produced in Nigeria are Nassarawa state, Taraba state, Kogi state, Zamfara state, Bauchi state, Kwara state and Sokoto state.

Conclusion

In the just-concluded year, there was an increase in the total output of rice cultivation when the hectares of land reserved for the cultivation of rice was increased by 0.73 million hectares. This implies that if more states in the country become actively involved in the production of rice, there will be a corresponding increase in the total yield and output of rice production. The best soil and weather that supports the production and cultivation of rice can be found here in Nigeria and is more dominant in some states in the country than others.

This, therefore, makes the production of rice in some states to be more productive as compared to the rest. In this article, we have listed the top highest rice producing States in Nigeria. These are states that are blessed with the right climate, weather, and soil conditions for the production of rice.