Nigeria now produces about 17 million metric tonnes of rice - Governor Bagudu

Nigeria now produces about 17 million metric tonnes of rice - Governor Bagudu

- Nigeria’s rice production improves from 5.7 million metric tonnes to 17 million metric tonnes

- This is a result of the milling capacity which has increased, as eight new mills were commissioned last year

- According to Kebbi state governor, Atiku Bagudu, rice farmers in the country are happy with the effort of the government

Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi state has said that in two and half years, rice production has risen from 5.7 to 17 million metric tonnes per annum, Leadership reports.

Legit.ng gathered that he made the disclosure to State House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa. According to the Kebbi state governor, eight new rice mills were commissioned last year which has increased rice production in the country.

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He said: "He received report that today in Nigeria we are almost producing about 17 million metric tonnes of paddy per annum, up from as little as 5.7 million metric tonnes two and half years ago. The milling capacity has increased, eight new mills were commissioned last year alone with the installed milling capacity almost doubling.

“The Rice Distributors particularly that of Iddo, G-Cappa and Elko market in Lagos, came to show confidence in the programme of the federal government of Mr. President as encapsulated in his statement: “Let’s grow what we eat, and eat what we grow.”

“The Distributors confirmed that Nigerian rice is better, more nutritious than imported rice and they are willing to partner so that Nigerian rice will be the dominate rice in the country and indeed we should be able to be exporting."

On rice farmers lamenting over imported rice flooding the market, he said: “Yes of course. Yesterday the Economic Management Team discusses smuggling and today it was an important feature and it has been recognized.

“Everyone who knows Mr. President’s commitment to the Nigerian economy will appreciate his annoyance with smuggling and smugglers. But it is a collective responsibility and so we want all Nigerians to participate the menace in importing the commodities especially in rice.

“The narrative out there is wrong. Other countries are undertaking economic warfare on us, there is no nation in the world that can produce and sell to Nigeria freshly grown rice equivalent to what is produced in Nigeria at the prices that Nigeria farmers are selling.

“So, most of the prices of smuggled rice are discounted prices that reflect the age of that rice and in some aliases as identified by NAFDEC not fit for human consumption,” he added.

Legit.ng previously reported that Alhaji Aminu Goronyo, the national president of Rice Farmers Association, on Wednesday, December 27, 2017, assured Nigerians that the market prices of locally produced rice will soon crash.

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Goronyo told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the price a 50kg-bag of locally produced rice would plummet from N18,000 to between N6,500 and N7000 by April 2018.

He said that the price-reduction plans would be achieved under a joint programme of RIFAN and the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which would be launched in Abuja on Jan. 13, 2018.

Ebonyi state, Nigeria and West Africa's food capital - on Legit.ng TV.

Source: Legit.ng

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