Nigeria can begin rice exportation by 2014

The acting Director-General of the National
Agricultural Seeds Council, Olusegun Olatokun,
saidon Thursday that Nigeria had the capacity to
begin rice exportation in 2014.
Mr. Olatokun told the News Agency of Nigeria in
Abuja that with the Federal Government's plan to
ban rice importation in 2014, the country had no
choice but to take advantage of its potential in rice
production in furtherance of the Agricultural
Transformation Agenda.
According to him, once that is done, the country
will become self-sufficient in rice production and
meet all the local demand for rice requirement.
"The total consumption in Nigeria is in the region
of about six million tonnes of paddy; what we are
producing is in the region of 3.5 millon tonnes.
What was left for us to meet up was about 2.5
million tones," he said.
"We projected that this 2.5 million tonnes will be
met within four years but within two years, we
have met more than 80 per cent of what is
required.
"Give us 2014, you will see Nigeria exporting rice.
It is a good thing that they should ban it, if they
don't, the competition that will come may
discourage the rice producers," he added.
Mr. Olatokun also alleged that those behind the
proposed ban on rice importation wee those
involved in the importation business.
"There are people that are speaking politically;
they know that if this thing (rice importation) is
banned, their interest of bringing in the imported
goods will be stopped," he said.
"We are going to have enough, there will be no
anybody going hungry. The only problem is
how to make it available to everybody.
"The health benefit of our local rice is better than
whatever they are bringing. What we need to do
is to do more of network supply so that people
can get it anywhere they want."
The acting director-general said the ban on rice
importation would not only encourage local
farmers, it would boost the economy of the
country and eradicate hunger and poverty. He
said the government only needed to be firm in
implementing the planned ban so that the sector
would be more attractive to the unemployed
youth.
Mr. Olatokun said because many countries were
looking up to the Nigerian agriculture sector, the
country should live up to the expectation.
Rice is Nigeria's major staple food and self
sufficiency in rice production is one of the cardinal
programmes of the Agriculture Ministry under
Akinwunmi Adesina.
(NAN)