Rice has always been one of the most common and major cereal crops consumed worldwide, and rich in carbohydrates, but with the recent inflation in the economy, a painter of rice now goes for six thousand Naira in Nigeria.
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Like every other plant crop, rice comes in varieties and more often they are specifically named after the locality from which they are cultivated. For instance, Indian rice, Basmati (which is more associated with India and Pakistan), Thailand, and Abakaliki rice to mention a few.
In a typical Nigerian home, rice is consumed at least three times a week, it could be prepared as fried rice, jollof rice, rice and stew, Tuwon shinkafa, or masa which is commonly associated with those in Northern Nigeria. Because of its wide consumption, it only makes sense why the rate of cultivation and production is high.
Rice is usually cultivated in flooded or marshy areas where penetration of oxygen is impossible thereby resulting in the anaerobic decomposition of organic materials in flooded rice fields emitting methane gas.
Recently, a trio of co-founders of Mitti Labs; Xavier Laguarta, Devdut Dalal, and Nathan Torbick in an interview informed the public of their aim to make rice farming or cultivation less harmful to the climate, this is because rice farming emits a large portion of methane gas which is one of the major contributors to climate change.
Methane is naturally produced by the anaerobic decomposition of vegetable matter underwater. Rice farming requires a substantial large amount of water which is favourable for the production of methane. In the atmosphere, a high level of methane gas can reduce the amount of oxygen needed and breathed from the air by animals; man inclusive resulting in unconsciousness, headache, dizziness, and blurred vision amongst other symptoms.
Mitti Labs is determined to reduce the emission of methane and control water wastage during rice cultivation. They are set to use their technology to achieve this beginning from India; the second largest country known for rice farming in the world. They have devised a means and encouraged farmers how to earn more from selling the methane emitted during rice farming.
Rice farming has shown to be one of the most lucrative businesses in Nigeria and the world today, For many advanced countries, farmers' engagement in this aspect of farming has increased the country's economy and productivity. Although in Nigeria, rice production has greatly improved to about seven million tonnes annually but lack of technological innovations and types of equipment is a barrier to greater productivity and outcomes.
In a place like India where Mitti Labs is interested in reducing methane emissions and improving the nation's health and economy, it is a win-win, especially for the farmers.
They do not only earn by ensuring food security or the availability in the country but also from emitted methane and other gases collected using a greenhouse gas chamber. As a country, these are some of the innovations and implementations we need to adopt. Countries with advanced technologies deployed various methods of farming activity to ensure sustainable, healthy, and productive lifestyles for their citizens.
Earlier this year, there was a heavy heatwave across the country, this heat wave was a result of global warming and this affected the rate of crop production and yield. Food insecurity and scarcity were glaring as crops either dried up in farmlands or yielded little or nothing. There was always an outbreak of meningitis in some states; some cases were more prevalent in some parts of northern Nigeria.
Instead of farmers usually burning up rice straws after harvesting or flooding the field to encourage decay thereby increasing the rate of emission of methane and other gases, Nigerians can devise a means by using technologies to collect or trap gas emissions especially methane from affecting the ozone layer.
Other human and natural activities contribute to the emission of methane into the atmosphere, climatic change and global warming have become a thing of concern for every living thing and methane happens to be a major contributor to global warming relative to carbon dioxide which is derived from burning and decomposition of carbon materials.
The government has taken the step of encouraging and implementing afforestation, especially in some parts of the country but more attention needs to be placed on rice farming and milling.
With the recent climate change, attention must be given to the petroleum and agricultural sectors in the country especially rice farmers to curtail further damage to the ozone layer and possible reduction in the emission of methane and other atmospheric gases.
Precautionary measures towards global warming should be effectively implemented The health and well-being of the nation is a matter of concern for every individual.
Reference
Major Reason For Rise In Prices Of Rice, Other Grains In Nigeria
Mitti Labs aims to make rice farming less harmful to the climate, starting in India