The Federal Government will shut land border between Nigeria and a neigbouring country, in a few days time, to avoid smuggling of foreign rice into the country.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, disclosed this in Abuja, yesterday, when he spoke with youths in a leadership clinic, under the auspices of Guardians of the Nation International (GOTNI).
Ogbeh did not mention the particular country and border but noted that the action became necessary; to encourage local production and sustain Nigeria’s economy.
The minister said a neighbouring country is bent on destroying the economy of the country and discouraging local production of rice, hence the need to shut down the border.
“Our other problem is smuggling. As we speak, a neighbour of ours is importing more rice than the
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, disclosed this in Abuja, yesterday, when he spoke with youths in a leadership clinic, under the auspices of Guardians of the Nation International (GOTNI).
Ogbeh did not mention the particular country and border but noted that the action became necessary; to encourage local production and sustain Nigeria’s economy.
The minister said a neighbouring country is bent on destroying the economy of the country and discouraging local production of rice, hence the need to shut down the border.
“Our other problem is smuggling. As we speak, a neighbour of ours is importing more rice than the
“People’s Republic of) China is importing. They do not eat parboiled rice, they eat white rice; they use their ports to try and damage our economy. I am telling you now, because, in a few days, you will hear the border has been shut.
“We are going to shut it to protect you, us and protect our economy. You will start seeing all sorts of negative things on the internet.
“Let me tell you why we need to shut the border: I grow rice; I was the first Nigerian to mill rice free of stones. If you plant rice in certain parcels of land, some poisonous materials gets into the rice. There are three kinds of water in their natural state; there is fresh water from the river, salt water from the sea, blackish water.
“If you go to the Delta in many countries, in South East Asia, where they grow the rice, if you plant rice in the same place like four to six years continuously, the quantum of arsenic begins to increase and arsenic causes
“We are going to shut it to protect you, us and protect our economy. You will start seeing all sorts of negative things on the internet.
“Let me tell you why we need to shut the border: I grow rice; I was the first Nigerian to mill rice free of stones. If you plant rice in certain parcels of land, some poisonous materials gets into the rice. There are three kinds of water in their natural state; there is fresh water from the river, salt water from the sea, blackish water.
“If you go to the Delta in many countries, in South East Asia, where they grow the rice, if you plant rice in the same place like four to six years continuously, the quantum of arsenic begins to increase and arsenic causes
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cancer and that is what they are dumping for us. Some people say they prefer Thai rice because they are very sophisticated; welcome to poison.”
He said the federal government, in two years, reduced rice importation by 95 percent and increased the number of rice farmers from five to 30 million. The minister said Anambra, Ebonyi, Kebbi, Kano, Jigawa are doing well in rice production.
“We just have to handwork you to prosperity otherwise, this country will not grow. My wish for you is to have a better time that we had,” Ogbeh said.
In January, Ogbeh said the volume of rice importation dropped from 644,000 tons to 20,000 tonnes between 2015 and 2017.
He pledged to support local farmers across the country with rice milling equipment like de-stoners and threshers, to help them reduce cost of production and consequently bring down the local price of rice.
-Sun
He said the federal government, in two years, reduced rice importation by 95 percent and increased the number of rice farmers from five to 30 million. The minister said Anambra, Ebonyi, Kebbi, Kano, Jigawa are doing well in rice production.
“We just have to handwork you to prosperity otherwise, this country will not grow. My wish for you is to have a better time that we had,” Ogbeh said.
In January, Ogbeh said the volume of rice importation dropped from 644,000 tons to 20,000 tonnes between 2015 and 2017.
He pledged to support local farmers across the country with rice milling equipment like de-stoners and threshers, to help them reduce cost of production and consequently bring down the local price of rice.
-Sun
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