864 



Rice from Iloriu Province N. Nigeria — partially cleaned, 

 fairly large grains of rather a dark colour was reported upon 

 in London (Dec. 1907) as equal in quality to Bengal rice and 

 worth about 9^. Qd. per cwt. quay terms ; it could not be exported 

 at a profit unless the estimated price in Nigeria and the cost of 

 freight are capable of great reduction (Col. Rep. Misc. No. 71, 

 1910, p. 211). The present price (April 1921) of '' Rangoon " rice 

 in London and Liverpool is I65. Gd. per cwt. (Rayner & Co. 

 Weekly Report, 11th April 1921), and average prices in London 

 are " Rangoon/* 175. ; '' Carolina," 355. ; *' Japanese," 285. ; 

 "Patna," 385.; and " Siam (polished), 305, per cwt. (Times 

 Trade Suppl. May 28th, 1921). A considerable amount of rice 

 ia annually imported into Nigeria ; for the half year ending 

 June 30th, 1913, there were 83,585 cwt. value £50,693 imported 

 (Nig. Customs & Trade Journ. Aug. 18th, 1913, p. 472) ; or 

 during the whole year (1913), 99,671 cwt. value £55,027, con- 

 signed from home (Trade of the United Kingdom, iii. 1921, p. 2), 

 this being more than to any other Colony, 



In Nigeria rice is cultivated in Kontagora in some low-ljnng 

 meadows, in marshes and near streams; but the careful culture 

 as practised in the East is said to be unknown in the Province 

 (Dalziel, Bull. Imp. Inst. 1907, p. 260); cultivated in Yola; 

 but it has been suggested that here the cultivation might be 

 greatly extended especially near the Benue River (Dalziel, Kew 

 Bull, 1910, p, 140). A sample of grain from the Ilorin Province 

 was valued in London (Nov. 1907) at 95. Gd. per cwt, quay terms, 

 and considered about equal to Bengal rice ; it was described as 

 consisting of large, partially clea.ned rather dark-coloured grains ; 

 but the local price was then too high to admit of export (Bull, 

 Imp. Inst. 1909, p. 149) and another sample (unh asked) from 

 Nigeria, submitted to brokers was reported on " as difficult to 

 value as rice in the husk does not find any market in Europe, 

 and being of the red-grained variety would, even when husked, 

 be almost useless in the United Kingdom, except for feeding 

 poultry " (Govt. Gaz, N. Nigeria, April 30th, 1910, p. 93). The 

 local value (Feb. 1913) of 550 lb. of rice, the produce of 2 acres 

 of land was at Is, for 50 lb. equal to 11^., the profit being put 

 at 9s. Id. — on a farm in Sokoto, 71-|- lb. being used for sowing 

 the 2 acres (Malcolm, N. Nig. Gaz. May 15, 1913, Suppl. p.l85). 

 On the banks of the Kaduna River, near Dakman and Dakomba, 

 along the Baku river from Katcha to Badeggi and at several 

 places on the Niger, the low land is put under rice ; in the Gwari 

 country very little appears to be grown; but in the Zaria and 

 Kano districts the crop is planted wherever low swampy land 

 occurs and near Zaria the seed is sown after the ground has 

 become saturated and the crop is harvested after about six 

 months ; all the rice appears to be of the same type — one which 

 would be called in India " baggra " or red rice, and the so-called 

 '* Nupe '* rice of red appearance, may be taken as a type of 

 that grown throughout the country (Dudgeon, N. Nig. Gaz. 



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