Kebbi Rice Farmers Face Crisis as River Rima Dries Up
Rice farmers in Kebbi State are urgently appealing to the state government and the Sokoto Rima Basin Development Authority after the water level in River Rima dropped drastically, putting their livelihoods in jeopardy.
Stakeholders have raised concerns over the declining water levels in the river, which flows from Goronyo in Sokoto, threatening irrigation efforts crucial to thousands of dry-season farmers in Kebbi.
A witness visiting the area on Monday described the situation as alarming, stating, “If no immediate action is taken, we risk losing thousands of metric tons of rice.”
The affected areas include key rice-producing local governments like Argungu, Augie, Birnin Kebbi, Kalgo, Bunza, Maiyama, Suru, and parts of Koko-Besse and Bagudo.
Farmers are urging authorities to take swift action to restore the river’s water flow and avert a potential agricultural and economic disaster in the state.
