By Amos Tauna
Kaduna (Nigeria)–Nigeria is targeting rice production of 7 million Metric Tonnes by 2018 to meet self sufficiency .
Nigeria’s rice demand in 2015 was 6.3 million Metric Tonnes.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Muhammed who announced this while addressing newsmen in Abuja, explained that the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has drastically cut rice importation and moved Nigeria very close to achieving self-sufficiency in rice, a major staple food in the country.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the Minister, Segun Adeyemi said the Minister quoted figures from the Thailand Rice Exporters Association that “Rice importation from Thailand, which supplies the bulk of the parboiled rice being imported into Nigeria, dropped from 644,131 Metric Tonnes to about 21,000 Metric Tonnes between September 2015 and September 2017.
“We are happy to tell Nigerians of a giant stride made by the Administration in the agriculture sector, specifically rice production: Nigeria is inching closer to achieving self-sufficiency in rice, due to the success recorded by the Administration in the local
production of rice.”
He explained that the result of the administration’s success in local production, some investors from Thailand have even shown interest in establishing rice milling plants in Nigeria, a development
he said would further boost rice production in Nigeria.
“A few years ago, this (Thai investors establishing rice mills in Nigeria) would not have been possible since Nigeria was not considered a top rice producing country. Today, Nigeria is one of the largest producers of rice,” he said.
The Minister said the increase in rice production across the country did not happen by accident, but was largely due to the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, initiated by President Muhammadu Buhari to support farmers through inputs distribution and loans to boost rice production, and the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative, among others.
He said the increased rice production has, in turn, led to the establishment of rice mills, including the 120,000Metric Tonnes WACOT Mill in Kebbi and the 1,000,000Metric Tonnes Dangote Rice Mill.
Mohammed said with the Administration targetting rice production of 7 million MT by 2018, the country was closer than ever to achieving self-sufficiency in rice, going by the fact that as at 2015, rice demand in the country was 6.3 million Metric Tonnes.
He said the increased production was bound to force down the price of locally-produced rice and provide succour to Nigerians.
