The All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN has decried a sharp practice among farmers where they re-bag rice produced in the country to sell as if imported. Shakin Agbayewa, Deputy Chairman of the All-Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Lagos chapter, said this in Lagos. The AFAN leader who said Nigerian farmers are capable of meeting the need of the country, if they operate under a suitable condition, said currently Nigerian farmers are only able to provide about 57% of the 6.5 million metric tonnes of rice consumed annually in the country.
He lamented that the practice whereby members repackage local rice in foreign bags to increase profits is partly responsible for the increase in price of rice. According to Mr. Agbayewa, “We have a major problem in locally grown rice; we call it ‘internal smuggling,’ a situation where local rice cultivators ‘re-bag’ home-grown rice in foreign bags, to sell at a higher price. We lack honesty among local rice producers because of the re-bagging of rice issues. “In Nigeria today, we consume close to 6.5 to seven million metric tonnes of rice on a yearly basis. Unfortunately, our local production is about 57 per cent, thanks to the closure of the border by the past administration. We still have a shortfall of about 43 per cent.”
He is confident that were Nigerians to honest wanting to produce what we eat, farmers will meet the local demand. He said, “If we are honest, we can adequately meet the demands for local rice in the country. If all parameters are equal, local rice farmers will be able to meet the local demands for home-grown rice.”
Additionally, the Lagos State RIFAN Chairman, Mr. Raphael Hunsa, called for concerted efforts to boost local rice production. He emphasised that increasing rice production requires commitment and involvement from all stakeholders, especially youth. Hunsa noted that the Lagos State rice mill at Imota, capable of producing 33,000 metric tonnes per hour, lacks enough paddies to operate, urging the government to support local farmers, reduce reliance on northern states for paddy, and attract more rice farmers to meet the growing demand for locally grown rice.
