The Governor of Lagos state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has stated that he would request the federal government through the Ministry of Agriculture to allow importation of rice paddy for the Imota rice mill to process.

The Governor stated this during a media chat while lamenting the reason for the non-functioning of the Imota rice mill to tackle the skyrocketing food inflation in the state, especially rice.

According to the Governor,

“The challenge that we have is feedstock- that is paddies. We have two aggregators- AFEX and Lagos commodity exchange that we have committed to look for paddy for us”

“One of the things that has happened is that paddy is not easily growable in the Southern part of the country. We have farmland in Ogun, Osun and Oyo states but it cannot meet up with the size and capacity of the mill.

“One of the things that we realized is that up north, there are a few issues around paddy. So for our mill, we are going to be having a conversation with the Minister for Transport and with the federal government. If they can permit us to do a one-off import of paddy for about two vessels. That can take us about 8 to 9 months production of close to 2 million bags of 50kg”

“If we have that exemption, we can use that to encourage the rice farmers to go back to their farms”
Furthermore, on the rice mill, the Governor stated that the state is expecting some paddies from the north through active collaboration with state Governors in that part of the country.


25% discount Sunday market
The Governor as a measure of tackling the food inflation across the state promised to begin a 25% discount on Sunday markets across 48 locations in the state.


The Governor noted beneficiaries of the project will be those spending N25,000 and below on food items who would be given a rebate immediately after purchase.

He recalled that the initiative was first developed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

What you should know
The Imota rice mill is a 2.8 million 50kg bag capacity rice mill commissioned by President Buhari in January 2023 but has failed to produce to capacity owing to lack of paddies and other issues. The mill was built at an estimated cost of N20 billion.

michlins:
Anything they can do to flood the market with foodstuffs is acceptable. Government should allow for importation of grains and staple food to cushion the severe shortages

Hezzyluv:


Shebi na dollars dem go still pay these companies wey go import ?

michlins:
yes. Government can give them waivers on import duty and stuff. We're at desperate times and even if we decide to go on massive agriculture drive, it will take at least six months for the first product to hit the market.

Meanwhile we need to get foods in the market within the next three months

Paraman:
I'm in favour of the government importing on the short run. Tinubu should give Sanwo olu the go ahead to import rice paddy.

michlins:
yes. Government can give them waivers on import duty and stuff. We're at desperate times and even if we decide to go on massive agriculture drive, it will take at least six months for the first product to hit the market.

Meanwhile we need to get foods in the market within the next three months

Kenochi:
I said on a similar thread that Nigeria's problem is not Hunger or High Food price,it is our inability to understand that Agriculture(livestock and Aquaculture inclusive) is very very big business
This news should be a very big eye opener to all producers of Rice Paddy in Nigeria,and that is the fact that there is a very big market for you in Nigeria
The Lagos State Government just informed us that they have the capacity to produce 2 million bags of 50kg Rice in a year,this is enough to make all serious farmers of Rice Paddy form cooperatives,go to the Federal Government and secure funding to grow Rice paddies on a very very large scale because the market and buyer of last resort is available

There is something else that I am really hoping some Aquaculture investors can look at,the price of Imported Frozen food is really getting out of hand.It is an irony of sorts that our locally breed fish such as Catfish,are more cheaper and more nutritious than this frozen nonsense we eat
Apart from the smoked catfish,I am really hoping that investors can look at the possibility of processing this fish,is it possible to get the technology to freeze this fish
We are a blessed people and Nigerians have no reason to go to bed hungry because all what we need to live well and feed well has been graciously given to us,from the great weather to a fantastic soil we really should be producing enough to eat and export all over Africa

emerged01:
States begging Fg to do things that are important for the states are insane. True federalism should take it place.