Minister of Agriculture and Rural
Development, Audu Ogbeh, has stated that the Federal Government did not ban the
importation of agricultural produce including rice.
He clarified that all the federal
government did was to put measures in place to checkmate the smuggling of rice
into the country.
The minister stated this while
speaking to newsmen in his office yesterday.
He also explained that maize was
not on the nation’s import ban prohibition list but charged maize importers to
work out how to grow the produce locally through integration, the way Olam
farms had done with rice production.
Ogbeh said: “Olam has gone into a
very large poultry business and they ordered maize because maize is not banned
yet.
“We haven’t really banned
anything yet, not even rice; you can bring in rice as long as it passed through
the ports and you pay the tax and levies. It’s the smuggling of rice that we
don’t want.
“Olam brought in the maize and
farmers have been complaining. I have met with them. I know they brought in the
maize because they had challenges purchasing local maize but I will tell them,
next year we won’t allow you do so.
“Develop an out-growers programme
like you’ve done for rice and let Nigerian farmers grow for you.”
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everydayAdvertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
So why did rice price gone that high?
ReplyDeleteConfused old ministers thinking like your principle PMB. Which lie do u want to lie this time after you all promised Nigerians that rice price will be cheap after your banning of importation. Now you did not ban rice. I tire for this our party members to God.
ReplyDeleteLook at this old Man,are you now lie muhamed?
ReplyDelete