you know what i mean!

If demand for the product is greater than supply I think those importing rice
since 1980's would have scaled down by now and more businessmen will be into processing of rice
there's only been an increase in demand in the past two years for local rice
the quality is improving too

the way it is people are even making big profit smuggling rice into nigeria from
neighbouring countries, that says alot!

Dis Guy:

you know what i mean!

If demand for the product is greater than supply I think those importing rice
since 1980's would have scaled down by now and more businessmen will be into processing of rice
there's only been an increase in demand in the past two years for local rice
the quality is improving too

the way it is people are even making big profit smuggling rice into nigeria from
neighbouring countries, that says alot!

We are speaking of Nigeria here. Again, 75 million people living under $2 a day and you really believe demand is low for the good

There's low demand for low quality food.

And Nigeria is not as poor as those money-hungry NGO operators would like you to believe.

I am not interested in NGO's. In a country of 150 million people with almost 50% unemployment (I believe 50 is close to more accurate than the 6% we continue to see reported by the country itself), you want to believe everyone can afford foreign rice when we know rice is close to a staple in the Nigerian diet? When last I was in Nigeria myself, I ate nothing but Nigerian rice.

Is it really the government's job to encourage people to do anything I mean I am not in anyway saying Government does not have a role to play but for pete's sake, we have been living in a country where Government rarely does anything and we expect it to encourage us to do what we know is for our own good??

To All On The Rice Issue

We all need to start eating ABAKALIKI AND OFADA RICE

Everybody wan chop AROSO and UNCLE BENS, why rice price no go rise?

We should boycott all those bloody importers and foreign suppliers, eat home grown rice and if we can then switch to GARRI!

it's crazy!

hunger is no respecter of ur status.


Now, our leaders are seeing (that's if they are really seeing) the importance of leaving AGRICULTURE for CRUDE OIL.

By August, the oil companies will pack-of and who 'll lose?

dee02:

To All On The Rice Issue

We all need to start eating ABAKALIKI AND OFADA RICE

Everybody wan chop AROSO and UNCLE BENS, why rice price no go rise?

We should boycott all those bloody importers and foreign suppliers, eat home grown rice and if we can then switch to GARRI!

the FG this week lifted the ban on rice imports for 6 months!


foolish peeps!

like the NFA, we like RUSH HOUR TACTICS

Even back when the ban on importation of rice was in place. It was still the same claim. People bought ofada and Nigerian grown brown rice and the price kept going high. This has nothing to do with low demand for the goods but I suspect low supply not enough to deal with demand, is the cause.

Kobojunkie:

We are speaking of Nigeria here. Again, 75 million people living under $2 a day and you really believe demand is low for the good

Demand is low for Nigerian rice! the evidence is there!

Seun:

There's low demand for low quality food.

if it was possible to differentiate between foreign petrol and imported petrol, theres a good chance people will
say one is of superior quality! if it helps there are some oyinbos processing the food in some SW states
maybe they should start using oyinbo pictures on the packaging

Dis Guy:

Demand is low for Nigerian rice! the evidence is there!
if it was possible to differentiate between foreign petrol and imported petrol, theres a good chance people will
say one is of superior quality! if it helps there are some oyinbos processing the food in some SW states
maybe they should start using oyinbo pictures on the packaging

Where is this evidence that you claim??

Kobojunkie:

Even back when the ban on importation of rice was in place. It was still the same claim. People bought ofada and Nigerian grown brown rice and the price kept going high.

there are no pricing mechanism in nigeria, people charge whatever they like and for some reason ,price rarely come down in nigeria!

Kobojunkie:

Where is this evidence that you claim??

low investment in growing and processing local rice
volume of imported rice increasing not only via the seaport
people are also smuggling in rice through benin/togo

Dis Guy:

there are no pricing mechanism in nigeria, people charge whatever they like and for some reason ,price rarely come down in nigeria!

Now, Apply that knowledge to the current situation and explain to me how this is not the same old price-poly we have seen for years and years in that country, but instead of low demand issue.

Nigerian rice is not well processed. Farmers producing should learn modern techniques. Why won't demand be low for rice with stones? Imagine picking rice before you eat it.
As large as Nigeria is, they claim we have only 30000 tractors? Farmers should be encouraged to embrace modern agricultural techniques to increase yield as well as better process their produce.

Dis Guy:

low investment in growing and processing local rice
volume of imported rice increasing not only via the seaport
people are also smuggling in rice through benin/togo

The first line there started when Cause as I remember it, it has been the issue with the whole agricultural sector since the 80's. Why it is suddenly the issue for today when both the price of local and foreign rice is on the rise?? People have been smuggling rice in for decadesl. Even during the ban of the 90's and still the price of both local and foreign remained high. Why is a problem that is decades old suddenly the reason for the high price of rice today??

Kobojunkie:

Is it really the government's job to encourage people to do anything I mean I am not in anyway saying Government does not have a role to play but for pete's sake, we have been living in a country where Government rarely does anything and we expect it to encourage us to do what we know is for our own good??

Actually theres nothing wrong with the govt encouraging people to do somethings
unlike other parts of the world, cash seems to be locked in government departments
due to corruption and to some extent lack of capacity, majority of these farmers dont actually know what to do
with money, if govt set the pace then people will follow

donmayor:

Nigerian rice is not well processed. Farmers producing should learn modern techniques. Why won't demand be low for rice with stones? Imagine picking rice before you eat it.
As large as Nigeria is, they claim we have only 30000 tractors? Farmers should be encouraged to embrace modern agricultural techniques to increase yield as well as better process their produce.

who'll assist them?

microfinance banks?

government?

Considering I am from the same Nigeria, I do not believe for one minute that the money is locked with the government. When we have thousands of local investors in the same country and many people looking for what to invest their money into. We have millions of Nigerians outside of Nigerians with money to invest. I believe the problem remains that instead of exploring other possible ideas, we continue to hope too much in a government and system that continues to fail us.

Kobojunkie:

The first line there started when Cause as I remember it, it has been the issue with the whole agricultural sector since the 80's. Why it is suddenly the issue for today when both the price of local and foreign rice is on the rise?? People have been smuggling rice in for decadesl. Even during the ban of the 90's and still the price of both local and foreign remained high. Why is a problem that is decades old suddenly the reason for the high price of rice today??

it's not just an issue now,It has been an issue ever since and moreso people are not willing to invest when they can easily make money importing rice. if you read properly i didnt say it is the sole reason for the price today, the problem is not our problem alone!

Mustay:


who'll assist them?

microfinance banks?

government?

Who should assist them before? They should assist themselves. They chose farming as their profession so they should seek to improve themselves with the little support government is trying to give them. At least government has been subsidizing fertilizer for years and if the only vision the government can see for farmers is fertilizer, they should begin to look beyond the government.

Kobojunkie:

Considering I am from the same Nigeria, I do not believe for one minute that the money is locked with the government. When we have thousands of local investors in the same country and many people looking for what to invest their money into. We have millions of Nigerians outside of Nigerians with money to invest. I believe the problem remains that instead of exploring other possible ideas, we continue to hope too much in a government and system that continues to fail us.

did you see what happened to the stock market when teh govt refuse to sign the budget? thats just a tit bit, the govt is too powerful

donmayor:

Nigerian rice is not well processed. Farmers producing should learn modern techniques. Why won't demand be low for rice with stones? Imagine picking rice before you eat it.
As large as Nigeria is, they claim we have only 30000 tractors? Farmers should be encouraged to embrace modern agricultural techniques to increase yield as well as better process their produce.

even with the tractor, the farmers still have to pay to rent them, they just park them at the local departments like
they are on parade or something! you rarely see the tractors in private farms if they are ever leased out!

What I trying to get you to see here is that it is not necessarily the case that consumer demand for the local rice has gone down while that for imports have gone up for it to be reason for the rising price of rice( which by the way includes locals). The price game has been played for decades in that country and will continue no matter how much investment is involved in local vs foreign. Pushing for people to eat more local rice will not solve the problem as that might even drive up the price of local even more. This happened back when there was a ban in the 90's on importation of rice. Price of local went up almost as high as the price of the foreign stuff.

The stock prices reacting to the budget issue has little to do with ordinary nigerians.

I can see this thread breaking the NAIRALAND longest thread record!

Anyway back to the real issue, we know the Government is totally useless and they would rather focus on lining their own pockets with oil money

Local and foreign investors are not helping as well as they have ignored the agricultural sector

Everyone of them is mentally glued to the oil sector as they see it as the only money spinning venture

The system put in place in the country is inefficient, no incentives or grants are in place to help farmers

Nigerians don't have faith in their own local products

The investors from outside the country are not encouraged

We have fertile lands all over the place but instead of growing agricultural produce, it is a case of i have ANOTHER MANSION!

IDIOTS are running ministeries here and there

The senate and the house of assembly are busy BUYING FURNITURES AND NEW CARS while the masses are suffering

Everything is going pickles at the moment and the Government need to restructure and put in place competent people that can deal with economic issues not just appointing some clueless dimwits as gratification for political contributions!

donmayor:

Who should assist them before? They should assist themselves. They chose farming as their profession so they should seek to improve themselves with the little support government is trying to give them. At least government has been subsidizing fertilizer for years and if the only vision the government can see for farmers is fertilizer, they should begin to look beyond the government.

beyond the government, the banks don't understand the agriculture sector or perhaps they are reluctant to loan farmers due the amount of time it takes to recover their investment and its also high risk, I don't think the Nigerians banks have appetite for that, if you notice they were falling over themselves to invest in shonga farms aka white farm in kwara because they have a track record

remember local farmers don't even know how to access all these government grant talk less of loans

Dis Guy:

beyond the government, the banks don't understand the agriculture sector or perhaps they are reluctant to loan farmers due the amount of time it takes to recover their investment and its also high risk, I don't think the Nigerians banks have appetite for that, if you notice they were falling over themselves to invest in shonga farms aka white farm in kwara because they have a track record

remember local farmers don't even know how to access all these government grant talk less of loans

then it's tragic that the right people are not into farming. Should I conclude then that Nigeria is wasted - no hope?
It's pretty obvious the young of today are not in anyway interested in farming. Those engaged in farming either have poor access to funds or are not in a position to learn because they lack information and we have had and are having visionless government who find it more comfortable responding to crisis than averting it.
Let's hope 20years from now, Zimbabwe is not repeated in Nigeria over land and the white men. We see what's happening in Niger Delta. There were farmers in Kwara b4 the white men but government did not provide irrigation, now the white men came and government is promising heaven. I hate this country. Let's hope the white men will transform the agricultural sector for us since we have chosen to accept that we cannot do it.

Ofada rice is not cheaper than the imported variety. Ate the rice at a party recently and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Got to the market with spouse to stock up on food items and we made enquiries abou the rice was told that ofada is N200 for a derica cup while the imported ones range between N150 and N200 depending on the brand.

I believe the best thing is just for everybody who has any fallow land to take up farming as a hobby and before we know it everyone is growing a little of what he/she eats and that way we are all part of the agricultural sector. I believe it is called subsistence farming.

The gateman of a compound I used to reside decided to use the land within the compound to grow some things. He planted maize, groundnuts and vegetables. We (the tenants) kept quiet until the plants grew to maturity the the begging began,

Ol'boy, na just small soup, make I just cut small vegetable.
Ha, Benji this your corn fresh o. Just give me five make I cook. I dey like corn well well.
Na wa oh, so the goundnut fit sweet rich like this sef.

Trust Nigerians now, when the guy cleared the place up for another round of planting. Every tenant had his portion of land for his/her "little farm". Na dat time we remind am say him no dey pay house rent.