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From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
In spite of their contributions to food availability in Benue State markets and in neighbouring communities, rice millers in the state have continued to face numerous challenges.
•Mrs. Ajeh and market women at the rice mill.
These challenges, they said, range from insecurity, extortion by security agents / illegal tax officers, inadequate raw materials, bad roads, lack of facilities like water, electricity among others.
The local rice millers under the aegis of Wurukum Rice Millers Welfare Association in Makurdi, the state capital, have, therefore, called on both the federal and state governments to give local rice producers all the necessary support to enable them not only boost their production but to contribute to food availability both in the state and the country as a whole.
•Rice miller drying rice for milling
Chairman of Wurukum Rice Mill, Mrs Caroline Ajeh, who spoke to our correspondent in her shop at the rice mill, stated the association is concerned about the food shortage in the country and is trying to contribute their quota to ensure food security.
She assured that if given the necessary support, they would do more to give their support to government policy of food availability.
Ajeh said they source their raw materials from the hinterlands and local markets in Kwande, Gboko, Buruku and other locals government areas of the state. She lamented that they are currently constrained due to high cost of raw material following insecurity and lack of facilities, among other challenges.
Ajeh said: “We need milling machines which we call polisher; there ones that break the rice and we use destoners for the work. We need these facilities.
“Right now, we don’t have light, water and good roads in the market. During the rainy season, you can’t drive into this market.
“We appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Hyacinth Alia, to support us with these facilities so that we can improve on our business and also contribute in making rice available to Nigerians.”
According her, while half bag, 25kg and 50kg of local rice sold at N18,000 and N36,000 last December, it is now selling at N25,000 and N50,000 respectively.
She blamed the increase on the removal of fuel subsidy which has increased cost of transportation and cost of production.
“We are suffering. We are no longer getting the quantity of raw rice like we used to get it in the past and it is because our farmers no longer go to their farms or cultivate much like they use to due to herdsmen attacks.
“In 2023, a bag of 100 kg of raw rice sold for N32 to N35,000 but now we are buying at N65,000. This is besides transportation. Also, policeman are disturbing and collecting our money on the way from the market at the numerous checkpoints.
“From here to there, you see policemen, from her to there, you see another team of policemen. They are not guarding us, they keep asking for N500, N1000. Before reaching Makurdi, you will see more than 100 policemen on the way at check points. All these challenges are responsible for the high cost of food items.
“Benue is the food basket of the nation and rice, which is one of the staple foods in most Nigerian homes, is what we produce. I call on the government to help put in place measures that will check these challenge so that the state will not exist as the ‘food basket’ in name only.”
Also speaking, Chairman of Rice Parboilers, Wurukum Rice Mill, Bem Mtseen, called on the government to provide soft loans and grants to them to enable them boost production. He said the soft loans will enable them purchase the needed equipment for their production.
Another rice miller, who also sells rice at the market, Mrs Juliet Ahondo, lamented that milling rice at the market is rigorous because they are doing it manually.
“Some of the processes of rice milling here is manual. When we buy rice, we cook, after cooking, we mill it and sell. We are having challenges milling it that way because there is no light. We buy diesel and all these contributes in increasing the price,” she said.
They, however, commended the present administration at the federal and state level for their efforts to bring down the prices of food. They said the government must address the growing insecurity in some parts of the country, especially in Benue State to boost local production.
