Nigeria Is Largest Importer Of Rice - US
John Akpodovhan, Makurdi - 14.02.2009

The United States of America Ambassador to Nigeria, Robes Renes Sandars, has said that in spite of Nigeria ’s abundance in natural resources and agricultural potential, Nigeria remains the largest importer of rice in Africa and second largest importer globally.


Ambassador Sandars who made the remark during her official visit to Olam Rice Mill, Makurdi, on Thursday, disclosed that the United States of America would be willing to assist Nigeria reach its full potential in the agricultural sector, adding that USAID/Olam partnership had shown how a strong committed private sector coul be a proactive and innovative partner to help farmers increase their income in the country.


“Right now, Nigeria is the largest importer of rice on the African continent and the second largest importer in the world. Programs like this provide an opportunity to change Nigeria ’s agricultural landscape. Nigeria can be self-sufficient in food and we want to help you get there, “ Sandars posited.


She explained that her country was built on the kind of entrepreneurial spirit where the private sector was committed and worked proactively and innovative to partner and help farmers increase their income pointing out that the Olam partnership with farmers is the type of entrepreneurial spirit needed in the country.

Who cares for dirty agriculture when the oil money is flowing non-stop

The country is just a waste pipe,failed generation,we got to wipe them out.

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rubbish!

china produces one-third of world' population rice consumption. now work that out hmmm on that still have enough to feed their own people

the thing is nigeria always have monkie brain in charge,  so ha

so tpia it about time for a change; them bastard that have any naija interest at heart at all, the stand for nothing rather go down stealin till heavenly door jammed

We have to wipe out the specks in our eyes.The specks as far as the rational eyes can see are the post independence african leaders,we got to put them in their place either by crook or by nook.

There can only be rule of law in nigeria if the leadership is civil.How can a criminal persecute a criminal?Nigerian leaders are criminals,illegitimate and bloody thieves.

our agriculture sector nids to come back alive. i weep for nigeria because we are like masters walking bare footed whilst our servants are riding our horses, its quite bad,

In fact we should import everything into nigeria.

5p1naz:

our agriculture sector nids to come back alive. i weep for nigeria because we are like masters walking bare footed whilst our servants are riding our horses, its quite bad,

which area in nigeria still produce local rice?

We have to produce Rice in Africa and stop importing rice from America or Asia. Every group of people understands practices and strategically utilizes the concept of economic violence, except African people. In fact the economic violence that we, as African people, practice is economic violence against ourselves. Economic violence is the art and science of using the exchange of money for goods and/or services as an aspect of ethnic warfare, survival and prosperity. The Chinese will not support an African business over their own, because they are not interested in ethnic suicide. The Chinese are logical, as self preservation is the most basic of human instincts. So not only will a Chinese person not support an African business over a Chinese business, they take it one step further and plant their business in an African community and implement plans to take African people's money. This ideological posture is pure and scientific economic violence. Replace Chinese with any other ethnic group besides African, and the picture becomes clearer.

tpia:

[b]rice is a staple Nigerian food and with 140 million people, its no surprise they need to import more.[/b]The imported rice is supplenting the home grown variety perhaps.

I'm sure the US also benefits from the rice sales though I thought most rice should come from China or one of those Asian countries.
who are you trying to wipe out?

Do I understand you? Are giving reasons why Nigeria needs to continue on the current trend?

rice is a staple Nigerian food and with 140 million people, its no surprise they need to import more.

The imported rice is supplenting the home grown variety perhaps.

India and China are rice exporters. those countries have more mouths to feed than Nigeria

Does anyone here grow rice?
Why so dependent on govt to do EVERYTHING

Mehn na tru o. I don eat rice plenty, my head they grow its own rice too

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PollMaster:

Does anyone here grow rice?
Why so dependent on govt to do EVERYTHING

A couple of decades ago, we used to produce our own rice. The North was covered with rice paddies and they did a good job supplying the country with food back then. But, I guess things went south and we now import onions, tomatoes and so many other foods we had plenty of back in the days. Wonder why and not sure if this trend is going to end soon.

@Tpia
There is what is called abakiliki rice and it is produced in ebonyi state in commercial quantity and igbo name for rice is osikapa.It is not only in the north that rice is produced.

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i hav noticed that rice is the most common food in Nigeria

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The only part of Nigeria that probably had rice as a staple part of the diet prior to colonization, was the north, since they eat tuwo. They may have also cultivated it since rice grows better in heavily irrigated paddy fields.

the Niger Delta part of Nigeria had rice cultivation long before colonization. Delta's such as jenne jeno were centers of Rice cultivation. Rice is/was cultivated in Lagos too. Rice and Sea-food were combined in the diet. Nigeria basically fell off the map when it comes to agriculture

but my mom told me rice wasnt commonly eaten in southern Nigeria until some decades ago.

it depends on what part of Southern Nigeria.

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tpia:





mainly the west. My friend told me rice was common in Ibadan and Lagos, but going by the general picture  most people in the rural areas didnt eat rice except as tuwo, which was a northern food. Thats for the few non-northerners in the south who even ate tuwo.

Stop saying that


Rice was and is still cultivated in Abakiliki, some parts of Enugu and Anambra state.

Just like Bawo implied, why bother with Agriculture when we have Oil. Thats the sorry state of Naija for U.

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U said South in ur previous posts and last time I checked that was supposed to be the east and the western part of Naija.

I did not see the "west" in ur last post. Now I see it. I apologise.

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if you check very well I'm sure you'll find rice cultivation was probably introduced to those areas at a specific date. Cereal based foods arent traditionally common in the south.

rice cultivation in the delta's has been common for centuries.  thanks to pollution, they can't do much of that now  

mainly the west. My friend told me rice was common in Ibadan and Lagos, but going by the general picture  most people in the rural areas didnt eat rice except as tuwo, which was a northern food. Thats for the few non-northerners in the south who even ate tuwo

lol true

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a quick google search would give you this


African rice has been cultivated for 3500 years. Between 1500 and 800 BC, O. glaberrima propagated from its original centre, the Niger River delta, and extended to Senegal. However, it never developed far from its original region. Its cultivation even declined in favour of the Asian species, possibly brought to the African continent by Arabs coming from the east coast between the 7th and 11th centuries CE.

In parts of Africa under Islam, rice was chiefly grown in southern Morocco. During the tenth century rice was also brought to east Africa by Muslim traders. Although, the diffusion of rice in much sub-Saharan Africa remains uncertain, Muslims brought it to the region stretching from Lake Chad to the White Nile.[15]

deltas are ideal for rice cultivation or coastal areas.

@tpia
The current trend I meant: this present culture of neglecting everything not related to oil.

With all due respect to your mother and other family members, their knowledge of history and rice production is grossly inadequate and doesn't meet the requirements for standard reference. I would not use information obtained from barely literate family members as evidence when disscusing with grown people if I were you.

My own great uncle used to work in a commercial rice milling/production company near Enugu, and while some old person hated rice, some just can't do without it.

My point: before we were unfortunate to strike oil, Nigeria produced, rice, millet/sorghum(used to make tuwo initially), palm tree, cocoa, etc. Now the only thing we produce or export is OIL.

well Nigeria claims to export cassava

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