Florence Ugbem | December 18, 2025
News Brief
It is early morning in Uosuh 1, near Gbajimgba in Benue State, Nigeria, as farmers prepare for another day in the fields. With support from training on sustainable rice production, local farmers are adopting climate-smart, drought-resistant crop varieties. Retired civil servant Chief Edward Tsesar and other members of the Sabongida Multi-purpose Cooperative now grow early-maturing rice varieties such as FARO 44, which require less water and mature faster. Farmers report improved yields, better resilience to short rainy seasons, and stronger market opportunities despite changing climate conditions.
It’s about 6:30 a.m. in Uosuh 1, a community a few kilometres from Gbajimgba in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, North-Central Nigeria. Despite the dusty harmattan breeze, 69-year-old Chief Edward Tsesar, traditional head of Tse Uosuh 1, sets out with his two wives, Christiana and Hembadoon Tsesar, to tend his six hectares of farmland. He grows cassava on three hectares, rice on two hectares, and beniseed and soybeans on the remaining land.
With more than 25 years of experience, Chief Tsesar is a retired civil servant turned farmer. He used to plant a local rice variety called zomuje, which grows tall and takes four to five months to mature. But two years ago, he and other members of the Sabongida Multi-purpose Cooperative received training on Sustainable Rice Production from the German development agency GIZ, with technical support from agronomist Jerry Kwaghna.
The training introduced farmers to drought-resistant rice varieties such as FARO 44, 61, and 67, as well as maize varieties SAMMAZ 40 and 52 – locally called Aligetenani, meaning “not taking time to mature” in Hausa – along with guinea corn and beniseed.
Chief Tsesar says that adopting FARO 44 for the past two years has been one of his best farming decisions. Unlike local varieties, it requires less water and matures in just three months. He explains, “I planted twice this year, in May and August 2025. The rainfall this year was not much, and it stopped early. But I’m glad it didn’t affect my crops because I planted early and used the drought-resistant FARO 44. I didn’t have any problem with yield.”
Mrs. Linda Akegeh, a 31-year-old mother of five in the same community, also participated in the training. She cultivates rice on one hectare of land and leases another one and a half hectares to grow beniseed, soybeans, and cassava. Just like Chief Tsesar, she expresses satisfaction with her harvests. She testifies, “We are harvesting now, and the yield looks great. I’m yet to thresh the soybeans because I want the harmattan wind to reduce the moisture before threshing.”
Jerry Kwaghna is the CEO and founder of Kwanzi Agri Innovation Limited. He is also the agronomist who offers technical support to the farmers. He explains that when he first began working with farmers in Gbajimgba, many still planted local varieties like zomuje, which produced low yields. He notes that the improvements since the introduction of climate-smart practices have been significant, adding that he now confidently purchases paddy rice from local farmers for milling.
He adds that members of the Sabongida Multi-purpose Cooperative were trained on sustainable rice production practices, including early planting and harvesting at the right time to avoid post-harvest losses.
Mr. Kwaghna declares, “They also adopted climate-smart seeds that are drought-resistant, disease-tolerant, and early-maturing, as well as proper spacing of 25 cm by 75 cm, which helps retain soil moisture during drought periods.”
Once harvested, the paddy rice is sold at Iyee Market in the same community. The market serves as a central hub where farmers use measuring scales to sell their harvests, with storage houses available for bulk holding. Rice millers and middlemen frequently visit the market to purchase directly from the farmers.
At Iyee Market, a bustling hub of commercial activity, Stephen Igba, Chairman of the Sabongida Multi-purpose Cooperative, coordinates the sale of paddy rice. As the sun sets, more buyers arrive to purchase rice.
Reflecting on the past and the impact of improved varieties, he shares, “Before, I harvested only seven to ten bags of rice per hectare. So far, I’ve harvested six hectares out of my 15-hectare rice farm and counted over 130 bags from just those six hectares. We are still harvesting the remaining seven.”
Mr. Igba has also switched from local maize varieties to climate-smart ones like SAMMAZ 40 and 52. He says, “With the local maize variety, I harvested about two bags from 20 lines. Now, from the same 20 lines, I harvested over three bags.”
Beyond improved yields, these changes are helping local farmers adapt to an increasingly unpredictable climate, especially short rainy seasons and rising temperatures. Gbajimgba farmers acknowledged that with good support from training programs, market access, and climate-smart innovations, they can be better positioned to withstand climate shocks and reap the rewards of their resilience.
