The Minister of Agriculture
and Rural Development, Chief
Audu Ogbeh, on Wednesday
in Abuja said Nigerian
businessmen demanded 2.5
billion dollars (about N492
billion) a week for importation
of goods and services into
the country. Ogbeh made this
known in a meeting with
officials of VICAMPRO, an
indigenous Agro Company
investing in production of
Irish Potato on Wednesday
in Abuja.
He said that the ministry was
willing to support local
investors with capacity to
produce goods and save the
country’s foreign exchange.
He said that the consumption
of rice in the country was
rising and that a lot of
people were not aware that
the rice had some degree of
arsenic.
The minister said that
consuming rice in large
quantity on a regular basis
was a bit of health risk,
adding that substituting it
with potato would be
welcomed development. “The
volume of importation of
virtually everything into this
country is too much.
“The demand for dollars in
this country as at today is
2.5 billion a week; this is the
quantum of dollars Nigerians
are asking for to import
things. “Since 1986, we
began this habit of importing
everything and doing
virtually nothing at home to
sustain ourselves; now, we
do not have the dollars and
people are very hungry.
“This day was coming
anyway, no matter who was
in power; we have the most
ridiculous method of
devaluing our currency;
every week, we auction the
dollar and naira goes up.
“We sat and were hoping
that by devaluation, we are
going to arrive at Eldorado;
if we continue like this, it will
be a thousand naira to a
dollar,’’ he said.
While commending the
investor, Ogbeh said that
any private sector effort
that would develop local
production of goods would be
fully supported by the
ministry. “We should
aggressively take the West
African market; there is no
reason why we should allow
Irish potato from Ireland and
France and Belgium into West
Africa; it is the same story
with onions.

mamabomboy:
The level of stewpidity of the Dullard's cabinet is astronomical and shocking. These are indeed Buhari's ministers. Afterall they are as dull and silly as their boss. And it took him 6mths to find these m0rons, SMH

rusher14:
The man simply gave a health and financial warning many would refuse to come to agreement with because his name is not Akunyili or Iweala.

Please read:

In late 2012 we released our original report on arsenic in rice, in which we found measurable levels in almost all of the 60 rice varieties and rice products we tested.

Our most recent testing and analysis gave us some new information on the risk of arsenic exposure in infants and children through rice cereal and other rice products. We looked at data released by the Food and Drug Administration in 2013 on the inorganic arsenic content of 656 processed rice-containing products. We found that rice cereal and rice pasta can have much more inorganic arsenic—a carcinogen—than our 2012 data showed. According to the results of our new tests, one serving of either could put kids over the maximum amount of rice we recommend they should have in a week. Rice cakes supply close to a child's weekly limit in one serving. Rice drinks can also be high in arsenic, and children younger than 5 shouldn’t drink them instead of milk. (Learn the new rice rules about weekly servings.)

Related topics
Arsenic In Your Food


In 2012, we recommended that babies eat no more than one serving of infant rice cereal per day, on average, and that their diets should include cereals made from other grains. We did not find any reason to change our advice based on our new analysis. When we shared our results with the FDA and asked for comment, the agency reiterated its recommendation that everyone, including pregnant women, infants, and toddlers, should eat a variety of grains. And they pointed out that parents should "consider options other than rice cereal for a child’s first solid food.”

An image of test tubes with different kinds of rice and grains, each labeled with its specific advantages and disadvantages of possible lead contamination.

The Trouble With Arsenic
Arsenic has two chemical forms, inorganic and organic (the latter of which can be less toxic), and is naturally part of the minerals in the earth’s crust. (Note, here organic is a chemistry term and should not be confused with food sold as “organic.”) Arsenic also has been released into the environment through the use of pesticides and poultry fertilizer. (Chickens can be fed arsenic.) Therefore, it’s in soil and water. Rice tends to absorb arsenic more readily than many other plants.

Regular exposure to small amounts of arsenic can increase the risk of bladder, lung, and skin cancer, as well as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Recent studies also suggest that arsenic exposure in utero may have effects on the baby’s immune system.


http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2015/01/how-much-arsenic-is-in-your-rice/index.htm


http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/Metals/ucm319870.htm

MadamExcellency:



Do they eat rice without cocking?

Do you know that cassava contains more arsenic that rice?

Why is it that some rural people live 90 years and above eating rice and garri three times a day?

The advice is just stupid and insensitive at this time because it makes no difference in lifespan.

MadamExcellency:



Do they eat rice without cocking?

Do you know that cassava contains more arsenic that rice?

Why is it that some rural people live 90 years and above eating rice and garri three times a day?

The advice is just stupid and insensitive at this time because it makes no difference in lifespan.

MadamExcellency:



Do they eat rice without cocking?

Do you know that cassava contains Cyanide more poisonous than arsenic in rice?

Why is it that some rural people live 90 years and above eating rice and garri three times a day?

The advice is just stupid and insensitive at this time because it makes no difference in lifespan.

rusher14:


You are perhaps an expert in toxicology or food science. I am not.

But from Audu Ogbeh's speech he suggested a complimentary diet which could include Irish potato as a staple . Of course, he said this in the presence of investors in the Irish potato market.

As long as people continue to see things from the angle of dissent, hate, animosity, vengeance, distress, etc. they would conclude with disdain and riposte whatever comes out from the stables of the government of the day.

amaechi1:


That has been the other of the day. We forget, importation of these items into this country is not safe, because one is not sure of the species or genetic manipulation and the production processes.

amaechi1:
Sometime, I just amaze by some comments push out by some people. Except it not what was posted, the Minister never said people should not eat. Rather, he was enumerating the danger associated from eating food supported by inorganic means. He also expressed the need to support local content farming.
Please, correct me if what you comprehend is different.

amaechi1:


That has been the other of the day. We forget, importation of these items into this country is not safe, because one is not sure of the species or genetic manipulation and the production processes.

rusher14:


It's quite astonishing we have obviously learned people who should know better but for the sake of argument or dissent colour what they know in a shade they despise.

If Nigerians would import toxic waste what is even to say we wouldn't import toxic food?
What is wrong with encouraging local production of a variety of food crops to increase employment, save the Naira many cry over everyday whilst enriching our diet at the same time.

How people can find a fault with this is mind boggling.

ammyluv2002:
Akuko! Why you neva die since toddler? I just dey imagine which kind ministers Mr President appoint to lead us forward

MadamExcellency:




Do you know that cassava contains Cyanide more poisonous than arsenic in rice?

Why is it that some rural people live 90 years and above eating rice and garri three times a day?

The advice is just stupid and insensitive at this time because it makes no difference in lifespan.

oyinkinola:
pls pls pls, don't joke with the health of people!

oyinkinola:
pls pls pls, don't joke with the health of people!

mamabomboy:
The level of stewpidity of the Dullard's cabinet is astronomical and shocking. These are indeed Buhari's ministers. Afterall they are as dull and silly as their boss. And it took him 6mths to find these m0rons, SMH