There is a strong indication that the Federal
Government may soon place total ban on
importation of rice, fish and other food items
into the country.
Giving the hint in Lagos,the Senior Technical
Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural
Development; Dr Niyi Odunlami, said that
government was desirous of stopping the
importation of rice, fish, wheat and tomatoes.
Odunlami spoke as a member of the supervision
team visiting staple crops processing zones of
the World Bank-assisted Commercial Agriculture
Development (CADP) project in Lagos.
He said that the Federal Government was
working in partnership with state and local
governments as well as Local Council
Development Areas (LCDAs) to bring
infrastructural development to rural farming
areas.
”The Federal Government cannot do it alone; it
needs the collaboration of states and local
governments as well as LCDAs.
”The rural farming areas need to be developed
in terms of infrastructure, so as to reduce or
possibly eradicate the importation of what can
be produced here, such as wheat, vegetable,
rice and fish.
“The fish we import is not different from what
we can find in the Nigerian waters,” Odunlami
said, adding that there is absolute need to
develop staple crop processing zones.
Some primary processing zones in the country
had been selected as models.
They include Kogi, Kano, Niger, Lagos and
Rivers states. The supervisory mission
commenced work on Nov. 28, with a visit to the
Lagos State Integrated Rice Processing Factory,
Imota.



www.vanguardngr.com/2013/12/fg-eradicate-importation-rice-food-items/