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Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Federal Government, yesterday, said the country would commence exportation of a new brand of rice by 2022. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanonos, stated this at a press conference after a working visit of the Nestle Nigeria Plc office in Lagos.
Nanono noted that the developement was necessitated by the closure of the land border which had resulted in increased outputs by many rice milling plants which were operating below installed capacity before the closure.
A statement released by the Ministry, quoted the Minister as saying that, with the improved production rate, Nigeria rice will soon be exported. “Before the closure of our land borders, most of these rice milling plants were partially operating, but now ,they not only operate in full capacity but are also expanding. And if we maintain the momentum in the next two years, we may export rice to other countries.”
He disclosed that “I was worried in terms of the production of rice, but what I have found out is that most rice producers have stocked rice for the next six months. This means that before the stock is finished, dry season rice will be harvested, and before that finishes, rainy season will come back.”
He stressed that only in three months, rice is not being grown in our country saying, “we cultivate rice in a nine month cycle; probably as we move on, the cycle will widen. So we do not have a problem with rice processing.
He added that there had been expansion of local rice value chain as well as the creation of more jobs due to increase in rice production.
“As at today, we have 11 rice milling plants with the capacity to produce 180 tonnes to 350 tonnes of rice per day. In a few months, another mill with a capacity to produce 400 tonnes of rice per day is going to be opened, with another upcoming 34 smaller mills; then, we have clusters in different areas.”
