In the past two years, Nigeria has experienced a significant boost in her domestic rice production, largely due to innovative incentives. In 2016, the country recorded an impressive 17.4 per cent increase in output of unmilled rice;-this was estimated at 7.85 million tonnes compared to 6.69 million tonnes in 2014 according to the National Bureau of Statistics. This improvement is a fantastic indicator of equitable and sustainable socioeconomic development, but there is so much more to the story.
For so long, Nigeria has been a major importer of rice. Most of these imports come from Asia, where heavy metal contamination of agricultural land is frequently reported. Heavy metals occur naturally in soil and water resources and uptake from the soil by plants is already an established phenomenon. It is also noteworthy that rice is particularly vulnerable to pollution as it readily scavenges heavy metals from the soil. However, heavy metal contamination of paddy rice swamps, irrigation water and other cultivation media used to grow rice in Asia have been documented to exceedingly surpass acceptable limits, due to the rapid industrialization experienced in that region recently. The proximity of agricultural, smelting and mining activities to planting regions are postulated to contribute massively to the contamination. In 2013, Guangdong Province government in China reported that 44 per cent of rice samples had excessive Cadmium levels. Similarly high levels of Arsenic, Mercury and Lead have been detected in rice samples from Asia.
A slow-burning epidemic of compromised child development, cancers, lung problems, cardiovascular complications and other degenerative diseases have been associated with heavy metal contamination. The United States Food and Drug Administration warns that long-term exposure to high levels of Arsenic may predispose humans to skin, bladder and lung cancers, as well as heart disease. Other adverse health effects including kidney damage, bone defects, hypertension and cancers have been attributed to Lead, Cadmium and Mercury toxicity.
Experts say that intake of heavy metals through food is a chronic intoxication process by small doses. The body bioaccumulates the toxins insidiously over time, and the excretion and drainage is extremely slow. The half-life of Cadmium for instance is about 17 to 38 years, in other words, it would take that long to reduce by half. Ideally, no individual should be exposed to more than 2 grams of Cadmium in an entire lifetime. Substantial quotients of heavy metals absorbed by the human body eventually concentrate in the kidneys and liver, exerting formidable damage. Rice is a staple part of the diet of most Nigerians, therefore, it represents a leading dietary source of heavy metals to the populace. In a nutshell, rice from Asia constitutes a major public health challenge to Nigeria. To this end, it is imperative to make more intensive efforts to completely eliminate rice imports from this region.
It is apparent that many Nigerians including the elites and urban dwellers consider many varieties of local rice such as Ofada, Abakaliki, Ekpoma and African rice a delicacy. In addition to the perceived superior organoleptic characteristics, certain studies have indicated that some varieties of Nigerian local rice are more nutritive, possess antioxidative properties, are rich in phenolic compounds and confer other health enriching benefits on consumers. However, the occurrence of foreign matter and impurities, as well as cracked and damaged grains in locally grown rice is a major deterrent for consumption.
Rice can be cultivated in virtually all the agro-ecological zones in Nigeria. Vast areas of fertile, arable land (over 79 million hectares), most of which is located in close proximity to rivers useful for irrigation is available. The warm, tropical climate is also very suitable. The competitive status of local rice products in the domestic and international markets can be boosted by improving paddy cultivation and post-harvest practices, providing adequate education to farmers, and improving the quality of life of rural farmers. Massive investment in infrastructure, machinery and methodologies is necessary to improve rice cultivation and processing. Policies that will improve local rice processing capacity and enhance the overall quality of locally grown rice should be initiated. The ultimate goal should be to produce clean, table-ready, premium quality rice. We should henceforth, no longer record unmilled rice output but finished ready-to-cook product statistics. Therefore, obsolete and inefficient rice milling activities need to be revised and upgraded. All subsectors of the rice value chain should be revitalized as well.
The reform of our rice production sector will yield numerous benefits; including but not limited to ensuring food safety and security, developing the agricultural sector, creating jobs, and export provisions as well as improving the health and overall wellbeing of Nigerians.
Oluwadara Alegbeleye
