Following the closure of Nigerian land borders in August this year, hundreds of rice mills have sprung up, while those that were moribund now being activated in many rice-producing states of the federation. It has been reported that the border closure drastically brought down rice smuggling, which had affected farmers, processors and investors.

In a recent interview with Daily Trust, the managing director of Labana Rice Mill, producers of Lake and Labana rice, Alhaji Abdullahi Idris Zuru, said that before now, most of the existing rice mills had finished products in their warehouses because there was no market. He added that “some even suspended production.” “That had created serious problems as some rice mills suspended production, some reduced workforce and some have been operating under low capacity. But with this development, almost all the mills have picked up.

The millers are selling, the farmers are selling; and if this is sustained, you will see more people going back to the farm to continue rice production. The millers too will increase their capacity,” Zuru said. Many large producers like Olam Nigeria, Umza Rice, Popular Farms Rice Mill, WACOT Rice Mill, Ebonyi Rice Mill have all increased their production capacity to meet the exiting internal demand. Dangote Group is also planning to establish a multi-billion naira rice processing mill in Hadin, Jigawa State. The chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, who laid the foundation stone for the construction of the mill, said it had the capacity to process 16 metric tons of paddy rice per hour when completed. He said that in a year, the mill would process paddy rice worth N14billion, bought directly from famers in Jigawa at market rate.

Apart from the large millers, there are many medium-scale ones upgrading their facilities to strengthen production. They include NFG-CS Rice Mill in Ga’ate and many more in Lafia and Doma in Nasarawa State; Ogoja Rice Mill in Cross River. Our correspondents across the states report that rice is currently witnessing beehive of activities as thousands of small-scale milling activities occur. In Benue State, our correspondent reports that local rice millers and sellers in the state are making brisk businesses despite challenges of sophisticated equipment to improve on paddy processing. At the vicinity of the 34-year-old Wadata Rice Mill, workers were seen processing rice for sale to consumers. Some of the consumers were already bargaining for their preferred choice to take home.

The chairman of Rice Sellers Welfare Association, Wadata in Makurdi, Benjamin Atumba, who also farms, mills and sells rice, said the best thing that happened to the sector in recent times was the closure of the country’s land borders. Atumba said Federal Government’s ban on importation of rice had boosted local production in the state in no small measure. “I can confidently say that this year, farmers, millers and sellers have gained.

We are now encouraged to do more. Nigerians now know the value of locally produced rice; they also prefer it to foreign species,” he said. He said the prices of rice had risen within the period of border closure, such that a 25kg bag of rice, which was formally sold at N4,500, now costs between N6,500 and N7,000, depending on the grade. He is, however, worried that due to lack of de-stoning machines, millers in the area are yet to reach their optimal output. He noted that the various categories of workers in the mill were doing their best to rid the processed rice of stones.

“At this rice mill we don’t have de-stoning machines, but the government can help us as an association to own one. For now, we have old women at the mills, whose jobs are to filter and remove stones from the milled rice,” he added. Similarly, Oliver Aker, whose business is to parboil rice, admitted that the business had been quite flourishing since the Federal Government closed the country’s land borders. He said the business would thrive more if there were machines for the different processes involved in polishing the rice to its finest quality.

He stressed the need for dryer machines. “It takes me two days to parboil a large drum of paddy rice and another two days to dry it. After this process, the chaffs are removed by the milling machine, then some people take their milled rice in large quantities elsewhere to de-stone. With the right machines we can produce more than what we are doing manually now,’’ he said. A miller, Mrs Ayam Chia, however, does not agree that rice business is thriving. She argued that apart from profits on paddy, milled rice hadn’t changed anything in fortune. She said things could be better for millers in times ahead, but not at the moment. In her estimation, patronages are even at its lowest ebb because people have no purchasing power. “Nigerians should eat local rice because it is better than the expired foreign specie. Our rice lasts for only one year; it is rich in taste and nourishment,” Chia said.

The secretary of the Wadata Rice Mill Sellers Association, Michael Iorkyar, said it took a minimum of two days during the dry season and three or more days at the wet season to dry paddy rice and get it ready for milling. Iorkyar disclosed that at least 10 milling centres were located in the Wadata area, while the industry, situated close to the bank of River Benue, in recent times had taken off many jobless youths off the streets by engaging them in rice processing. In Kano State, our correspondent learnt that the closure of Nigerian land borders had triggered the emergence of many rice milling outlets. It was gathered that rice business has become so lucrative that businessmen and women have ventured into it.

According to Malam Iliya Sani Mamman, the business community in the state has realised that the number of milling companies cannot meet the growing demand for rice in Kano State and its neighbours, as such, they seized the opportunity to explore the sector. Another rice merchant, Alhaji Yusuf Magaji, told our correspondent that many smallholder rice milling centres had emerged in various local government areas in the state to complement the growing demand created by the recent border closure.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/as-borders-remain-closed-rice-mills-open-everywhere.html

Some people may not be happy but this is one positive Buhari policy effect.

With what is going on, i think we ''may'' achieve the desired plan Buhari is aiming at. This country is just somehow sha.

www.nairaland.com/attachments/10615920_2222gttdctgfcgdydtsgs_pngcb0edab54f409e32e26a517b3a28a16e

obviously !!!

once the country can gurantee investors of sustainability then people would bring out money, most people building event centers, shopping complex, hotels and fueling station would divest

coscharis now owns a large rice farm in anambra, divesting from automobile, and he knows for every rice grain he plants he get atleast 10 grain back

..

Hmmm... Hope that photo is not how they process the rice??

Why can't we automate things I'm this country and make life easier for us kwanu

The Rice mills are hoax. Y'all don't understand its just a front. We have more rice mills but have very little rice farms. Top officials are hiding behind these mills and smuggling rice through the northern borders and repackaging them for sale in local bags in those mills. Them go use all of una make money this Christmas

I wonder why they will sell these locally produced rice the same price they sell the foreign rice... So what's now the idea behind local production

Seriously I don’t know weather to support the border closure or be against it. Hit like if you support the closure and share if you are against the closure.

Great job... self sustainability especially in agriculture is necessary for growth and development!

Next is capital goods!

kai, hope say i nogo break sand as my teeth no good.

We are getting there!

Gbsm

That's a good one.

Dead ass stone rice
Open border make person chop better rice oh

This is actually a very good development, but do we have enough rice farmers to produce rice for the mills? That should be the question. But I tire for Nigeria o... the way the price of local rice has gone up ehn!

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ourkobo:
Hmmm... Hope that photo is not how they process the rice??

Why can't we automate things I'm this country and make life easier for us kwanu

That's an opportunity for you to invest in automated rice processing and make your cool billions.

Positive on this one

Not a bad one,, my question is can't Nigeria produce foreign standard of rice here in Nigeria..
That would be a good one if possible

Can we now remove those locks from the borders and permanently weld it for life Say No to border reopening!

Buhari's campaign to patronize #MadeAthome. The campaign would encourage local investment. Buhari wants to pursue the policy of self reliance. Unfortunately, it's a pipe dream, it could have been possible but no, cause there is absence of transparency and the good will necessary to have a holistic outcome. Am dat Ogoni boy and i continue to make sense!

gaetano:
The Rice mills are hoax. Y'all don't understand its just a front. We have more rice mills but have very little rice farms. Top officials are hiding behind these mills and smuggling rice through the northern borders and repackaging them for sale in local bags in those mills. Them go use all of una make money this Christmas

You're a propagandist!

Good one but the closure was one wrong timing

elkharpone:
Dead ass stone rice
Open border make person chop better rice oh

Buy better Naija rice, not the one wey dem no comot the stone properly.

So, your own destiny is to eat smuggled food?
The seaport is open and people are still importing rice. Why don't you buy from them?
Na the one wey them carry pass bush you sabi chop.

The foreign rice you see around now, they are local rice which people are putting in foreign sacks and selling to people like you as foreign rice.

Open the border joooor....


Rubbish

So now it is no longer by bread. .
"Man shall live by rice . .alone".
Even bread self is expensive these days. . .

Rice rice rice. Na only rice be food here ni or is rice the major problem of nija.

But come to think of it, this rice issue Don open Manny people eye, some don Enter farming by force.
Agriculture is the first issue every country should tackle, once there is cheap food, other good things Wil follow

...slowly, but surely we will get there.