The Minister of Agriculture and
Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, has urged farmers to reduce the price of a tonne
of paddy rice from N150,000 to N120,000 to make it affordable for millers.
Ogbeh gave the assurance at the
First International Cocoa Summit, organised by the Federal Ministry of Trade
and Investment, in collaboration with Cocoa Farmers’ Association of Nigeria
(CAN), in Abuja.
“I advise rice farmers to reduce
the price of a tonne of paddy rice from N150,000 to N120,000 to make it
affordable for millers which will eventually crash the price of processed rice
and discourage smuggling.
“By the end of this year, we can
tell you that we are self-sufficient in rice,” Ogbeh, who expressed regrets on
the increasing number of malnourished children across the country declared.
The Minister further noted that
rice production had improved tremendously across the country as a result of the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP).
According to him, the programme
has supported farmers through inputs distribution and loans to boost rice
production across the country.
While pointing out that rice was
one major staple food consumed by almost every Nigerian, Ogbeh said the move
was in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s agenda to diversify the economy
through the agricultural sector.
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