Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi state has expressed optimism that with the level of improved production by Nigerian farmers in rice production could see the price of local rice crash to N11 000 within months,with the current price hovering around N16 000 and N17 000.
Babugu who was spoke at the on going AgroNigeria High-level Rice Conference in Abuja said the local farmers who doesn’t get much subsidy for his production must be supported by the Nigerian Public not to be out of business.
“Our farmers, Processors and Millers are doing a great job,and they deserve our support through patronage.The more we support them,the more they will deliver lower prices for us.”The Governor said.
The governor,however pointed out that is an economic warfare going on which is being pioneered by some agents within and outside the country to scuttle the efforts of the local farmers, through price distabilisation,and ensure persistent of smuggling.
He urged Nigerians to ensure naming and shaming of all agents involved in smuggling which would assist in confronting the monster aggressively.
“What is more important is for all Nigerians to recognise that some countries are playing an economic war fare against us,so that we are all mobilised.On Monday I recieved a call from a teacher in Iboho,Oyo state,he said,he was calling because he saw Truck load of imported rice crossing the border,that ‘s the kind of nationalist spirit we want exhibited,as I quckly passed on the information to the officers of the Nigeria Customs Service for prompt action”Bagudu said.
Speaking further on health status of most improrted rice,he said:”We have to recognise that most of the imported rice is not fit for human consumption,and NAFDAC has done a number of studies to establish that fact.What people are misled with is that those people smuggling in this rice are out for ‘economic warfare with Nigeria’
That foreign rice that is always imported here cannot compete with our own rice in terms of freshness and number of years of produce,the governor adds further.
The Governor who is also the Vice Chairman of the Presidential Council on food security said the Central Bank of Nigeria has been doing a lot to de-risk the farmers and support lending to them.
“Many commercial banks business model does not support quick decision towards lending to the Agricultural sector.The Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending,NIRSAL is dealing with part of it,and they have come up with some products that will reduce the amount of credit demands that comes to the commercial bank by farmers.
Also,he pointed out that the Central Bank in order to expand credit access to farmers had created with the commercial bank an equity fund that can provide long term financing for agribusiness.
He remarked that all the efforts put together by the CBN and NIRSAL is to create the amount of risk funding available to the Nigerian Agricultural sector.
