The Abia State Marketing and Quality Management Agency says the attention of the Agency has been drawn to the information that some unscrupulous people, in a bid to profit off the astronomical demand for Abia Rice, have resorted to bringing substandard Rice into Abia State, rebagging it as Abia Rice and selling to the unsuspecting public.
In a press statement by the Director-General, Barr. Sam Hart, the Agency assured that the original Abia Rice is sourced from the finest grains and milled to the highest quality standards enforced in Abia State by the Agency.
The statement further urged the general public to ensure that they source their Abia Rice only from accredited distributors and millers of the product and not from sources that are questionable.
It noted that the Agency has also intensified quality inspection modalities at Rice Mills in Abia State to ensure that the millers, in a bid to meet up with rising demand, do not compromise quality standards.
The statement said:
“The Governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has devoted personal and political capital into promoting #MadeInAbia products and the Agency is poised to ensure that unscrupulous people do not de-market his efforts.
The Agency is compiling a list of accredited distributors of Abia Rice and will publish same with locations and telephone numbers within the next 24hrs to guide the general public on where to get guaranteed quality Abia Rice.”