[size=15pt]Nigeria can begin rice exportation in 2014 – Official[/size]

Premium Times

Published: December 19,2013



The acting Director-General of the National Agricultural Seeds Council, Olusegun Olatokun, saidon Thursday that Nigeria had the capacity to begin rice exportation in 2014.

The official said Nigeria currently produces about 50 per cent of its rice needs.

Mr. Olatokun told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja that with the Federal Government’s plan to ban rice importation in 2014, the country had no choice but to take advantage of its potential in rice production in furtherance of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda.
According to him, once that is done, the country will become self-sufficient in rice production and meet all the local demand for rice requirement.
“The total consumption in Nigeria is in the region of about six million tonnes of paddy; what we are producing is in the region of 3.5 millon tonnes. What was left for us to meet up was about 2.5 million tones,” he said.

“We projected that this 2.5 million tonnes will be met within four years but within two years, we have met more than 80 per cent of what is required.

“Give us 2014, you will see Nigeria exporting rice. It is a good thing that they should ban it, if they don’t, the competition that will come may discourage the rice producers,” he added.

Mr. Olatokun also alleged that those behind the proposed ban on rice importation wee those involved in the importation business.
“There are people that are speaking politically; they know that if this thing (rice importation) is banned, their interest of bringing in the imported goods will be stopped,” he said.
“We are going to have enough, there will be no anybody going hungry. The only problem is how to make it available to everybody.
“The health benefit of our local rice is better than whatever they are bringing. What we need to do is to do more of network supply so that people can get it anywhere they want.”

The acting director-general said the ban on rice importation would not only encourage local farmers, it would boost the economy of the country and eradicate hunger and poverty. He said the government only needed to be firm in implementing the planned ban so that the sector would be more attractive to the unemployed youth.

Mr. Olatokun said because many countries were looking up to the Nigerian agriculture sector, the country should live up to the expectation.
Rice is Nigeria’s major staple food and self sufficiency in rice production is one of the cardinal programmes of the Agriculture Ministry under Akinwunmi Adesina.

(NAN)

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/151737-nigeria-can-begin-rice-exportation-2014-official.html

Awon were, dem don come o!

See yeye minister talking of importation wen dem neva even sustatin the masses

Una well so?

That is how Nigeria gets useless with herself despite her abundance!

NNPC dey export refined crude oi wen petrol dey sell for high price in the same country! Marketers dey import refined products and selling at high price while even the 40% capacity produced by NNPC is enuff to sustain us but they are being exported!

Now, na thunder go fire u and ur family if u talk of exportation of rice next year!

Is that not the year that a bag of rice shld sell for a mere 5k?

And mr rossisk abi wetin be ur name, pls don't talk abt Jonathan here because we all knw rice plantation didn't start two years ago. We both knw the history. The mills may open during his term and we knw why. Mills can't open where rice no dey and rice dnt grow to exportation level in 2yrs.

We give it to him for his support. If only other mnisters can be half as effective as the Agricultural section...

Mtcheeeeew!

SLIDE waxie: Awon were, dem don come o!

See yeye minister talking of importation wen dem neva even sustatin the masses

Una well so?

That is how Nigeria gets useless with herself despite her abundance!

NNPC dey export refined crude oi wen petrol dey sell for high price in the same country! Marketers dey import refined products and selling at high price while even the 40% capacity produced by NNPC is enuff to sustain us but they are being exported!

Now, na thunder go fire u and ur family if u talk of exportation of rice next year!

Is that not the year that a bag of rice shld sell for a mere 5k?

And mr rossisk abi wetin be ur name, pls don't talk abt Jonathan here because we all knw rice plantation didn't start two years ago. We both knw the history. The mills may open during his term and we knw why. Mills can't open where rice no dey and rice dnt grow to exportation level in 2yrs.

We give it to him for his support. If only other mnisters can be half as effective as the Agricultural section...

Mtcheeeeew!

You know you are just acting like an Incoherent IJIOT here, right?? Am sori guy, but am just saying...

Goodnews!

If you are interested in rice farming, download comprehensive e-book on the cultivation of upland and lowland rice here

That will be great if it is achieveable coz it will create employment.
And if the right goes to many company there will be competetion which can reduce the price. how can u expect somebody who buy rice at high price at foreign country and also pay importation due on them 2 sell rice lower than those that buy it in nigeria.

Well an important thing in this agriculture project is bad rail transport

If this is true then it is quite an achievement and one to be proud of

reedonne: Well an important thing in this agriculture project is bad rail transport

hmmmm

We are not interested!

Clerverly: We are not interested!

why will you be interested?
Afterall,you don't care about the Nigerian economy.

taharqa: You know you are just acting like an Incoherent IJIOT here, right?? Am sori guy, but am just saying...

there's nuttn to be sorry abt....u made ur off-point already...

Shooo I tired for some of una. Any good news na fake news. Anyway with this development those hard working and humble farmers will not go hungry and be living from mouth to mouth. Instead of their farm produce going to waste, accumulating loss or not making enough gain due to some wicked middle men who takes advantages of them, they will have the chance to improve their lot just like those in the cassava sector have been doing.

To those of you talking of meeting local consumption how many locally produce goods have you purchase even if they are of good quality? How many? How many of you will buy cassava bread, cassava cake, cassava snacks ?

imao.
Falacy

Time to open a rice processing plant in Ebonyi state, no time.