Multi-Million Naira Irrigation Rice Farm at Sunti Farms washed away by raging flood in Niger

Multi-Million Naira Irrigation Rice Farm at Sunti Farms washed away by raging flood in Niger

Olabode Adaramola

The Management of Sunti Farms, a Multi-Million Naira subsidiary of the Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, situated in Mokwa Local Government of Niger State, is now counting its losses, as about 100 hectares of its irrigation rice farm has been completely washed away by the recent flood that submerged the rice and sugar cane farms of the company, Nationalwire can authoritatively report.

It was further gathered that the investors were said to have been seriously pained over the loss of the huge investments    as the rice farm was said to have been ripe for harvesting prior to the unfortunate flood disaster that submerged the farmland.

Further checks revealed that the land mass of the  farms, is precisely about  900 Hectares   and  is consisting of  both irrigation Rice farm and Sugarcane plantation,  was said to have been initially  submerged by flood  along sides the company’s heavy duty equipments  after a heavy rainfall on Monday 26th September, 2016.

Confirming the incidence was the Director General, Niger State Emergency Management Agency( NSEMA) Mallam Ahmed Ibrahim Inga, in an interview with our reporter on Thursday in Minna, the state capital, highlighting  that the farm is completely dependent on River Niger which is also being controlled  by Jebba Dam’s Regulators .

He stated further that during his on the spot assessment visit to the farms in conjunction with the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Abdullahi Aliyu, that at the onset , apart from  the Rice and Sugarcane plantations, that were  under water,  that the company’s Heavy Duty Equipment like  Bull Dozers, Pay Loaders, Excavators were also submerged by flood.

“Also submerged at the period were the farms’ drainage channels, Irrigation Pumping Stations  and internal road networks within the farms  among other infrastructural facilities  have also collapsed’, said the NSEMA Boss .

Ahmed Inga explained further that the special interest which the State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello has for the Multi-million Naira investments at   Sunti Farms in the State,   had made the governor to send him (Inga) and the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development to the farms for on the spot assessments of the damages so far caused by the flood to the farms.

“In fact, that was the reason why His Excellency Governor Abubakar Sani Bello sent me and the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development to the farms with a view to assessing the extent of the damage caused by the natural disaster

“And when we got there, we could not reach where the Equipment were kept because the water level was still very high and they were seen in a very far distance from where we were able to reach. The submerge of of the farms and its equipment and other social amenities on the farms has very serious financial implications on the company”, said Inga.

He further disclosed that the damage caused by the flood to the Rice and Sugarcane irrigation farms was enormous, highlighting that the only way the company can mitigate damages to the farms is to have timely early warning about the release of water from Jebba Dam.

He said this will enable  the company to activate its emergency plans , provided if they have, stressing that it is in the best interest  of the company to  also have a giant water draining machine  that could be used in draining the flood back into the Jebba Dam in case of a recurrence of similar situation in the nearest future .

He however stated that from his own observation during the visit to the farms, that the company did not have draining machine, adding that the company is also expected to have at least one Flying Boat for emergency evacuation of its personnel.

Ahmed Ibrahim Inga also expressed delight that based on his q Tele [phone conversation with some of the staff of the company on the farm during the week,   that the water had started draining back on its own based, emphasizing that the employees of the farms estate could not do anything about draining the flood back into Jebba Dam, as they were only waiting for the water to subside.

He also disclosed that the company’s staff had succeeded in moving out some of  their heavy duty equipment from the water , as well as raiding their blockages, saying it was outside the pivot areas on the farm estate .

The NSEMA Boss noted that at the peak of the flood disaster on Sunti Farms, Mokwa Local Government of the State that the flood also eroded the Dikes that were under construction on the farms and submerged the drain ways by allowing free flow of water into the Sugar cane farm and the rice farm.

He however stated that the farm owners were likely to be on their annual leave abroad during his visit to the farms recently, while some of their Nigerian staff were around on the farms.

‘The implication of the Sugarcane farm being flooded is firstly that attainment of Sunti Farms Management of cultivating 3,000 Hectares in Niger State by June next year is already being threatened.

They ought to build barriers that would regulate the inflow of water into the farm, hence the Sugar cane farm would start growing offshoot roots.

And staying more than two weeks in the water, the growing of the offshoot will ruin the sugar cane farm’, he stated.

He said the growth of the offshoot in Sugar cane   (socros) will render the Sugar cane useless, adding that the Farm owners would have to erect the barriers called Dikes.

And between the Dikes, there are also ‎drain ways, saying, “Sometimes if the farms become too dried, the farms Management and staff can open the drain ways to allow waters into the farms after which they will close it back after they must have gotten enough water ‎”.