Nigeria is poised to start exporting rice as local production has increased from two million tonnes in 2015 to nine million tonnes in 2021, says Aminu Goronyo, president of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN).

Mr Goronyo made the declaration in Kaduna on Thursday at the inauguration of sale of rice paddy to millers at a reduced rate jointly agreed to with the CBN.

“Before the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari administration in 2015, we used to produce just about two million metric tons of rice paddies annually.

“Today, we can boast of nine million metric tons annually; there is a clear difference and now we can boldly say that Nigeria is self-sufficient in rice,’’ he said.

Despite the claims of increased local production, rice, Nigeria’s staple food, has witnessed a steep hike in price as the government blocked importation to encourage local production.

A bag of 50kg of rice which sold for N8,700 in 2015 now sells for an average price of N29,000.

During the inauguration of the rice paddy sale, farming implements, fertilisers and inputs were also distributed to rice farmers for the 2021 wet season cultivation at the occasion.

The RIFAN president said rice paddy was being sold to millers in 16 states now at N190 per kilogram to enable them to mill and also sell rice to consumers at affordable prices.

“We will sell the paddy to the millers at N190 per kilogram as against the price range of N200 to N230 per kilogram sold by others.

“The directive came from the CBN that we reduce the price so that millers can also sell to Nigerians at a cheap rate,’’ he said.

Mr Goronyo said the current production level was achievable only because of the courage, commitment and patriotism of rice farmers who remained on the farm despite security challenges.

He noted that RIFAN members were able to surmount insecurity because the military and other security agencies gave support.

In his remarks, Ahmad Wali, Kaduna Branch Controller of the CBN who represented the governor, Godwin Emefiele, said the bank had been supporting a lot of agricultural initiatives to boost agricultural production in Nigeria.

He expressed delight that rice farmers made impressive efforts to repay loans granted to them.

Mr Wali urged farmers in other value chains to emulate the rice farmers for the benefit of others.  

(NAN)