The federal government has denied a United States Department of Agriculture World Markets and Trade Report that Nigeria imported three million metric tonnes of rice in 2018.


This was disclosed by the minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed to State House correspondents yesterday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Dismissing the report as fake news, Mohammed also knocked Atiku Media Organisation who latched on to the story.


According to him, he contacted the relevant authorities when the story broke out saying they all confirmed that story was not true.

He said, “I’m sure many of you read the report of United States Department of Agriculture World Markets and Trade Report that falsely claimed that Nigeria imported three million metric tonnes of rice in 2018, which is 400,000 metric tonnes more than the quantity of the product imported in 2017.



“And also that local production was on the decline and that these facts fly in the face of government’s claim of what it achieved in the area of rice production.

“I want to say categorically that , that story is false. Predictably, the Atiku Media Organisation, this afternoon latched onto the story, we are not surprised.I want to say categorically that , that story is fake and that Atiku Media Organisation also goofed.”Immediately that story broke out, I contacted Central Bank of Nigeria and comptroller general of customs, I had meetings with the Rice Producers Association and also with the millers and they all confirmed that that story is not true.”


He further explained that “For starters, you can’t import rice without a Form M being approved. You can’t import rice without Letter of Credit.


“So we challenge the US Department of Agriculture World Markets and Trade Report to provide evidence that Form M was opened to bring in 400,000 metric tonnes over and above that of last year and that Letter of Credit were open for these.


“Two, the records are very clear as to the importation of rice, you don’t have take my words but go to Thailand Rice Miller and the figures are there. In 2014, 1.2 million metric tonnes of rice was exported to Nigeria, in 2015, 644 metric tonnes of rice was exported to Nigeria, by 2015 it went down to 5,000 metric tonnes. These are not my figures, these are figures from the Thailand Rice Association.”

He also described as fake claims that local rice production was on the decline.


According to him, “Yesterday (Monday), when I spoke to the millers, all of them said, please just come to Kano, come to my factory you are going to see two kilometers length of trailers waiting to discharge paddy rice.

“So I want to say categorically again without fear of contradiction that the Anchor Borrowers Rice Programme is working.



“Nigeria has been able to reduce by 90 per cent the $1.65 billion it was paying on rice importation, the number of integrated rice processing mills increased from 13 to 25, those are the majors and that between the smaller ones and the big ones, today the capacity is 4.9 metric tonnes of rice.”

He expressed confidence that in a year,Nigeria is going to meet the six million metric tonnes of rice production which is the local consumption.


On challenges on smuggled rice, he said”Good question. You see, you cannot claim that smuggled rice is part of rice imported into the country.


“Yes, we do know we have a challenge with smuggled rice but we have taken steps to ensure that these menace is contained.”


He noted that the government set up a tripartite committee between the Republic Benin and Nigeria comprising the two ministers of finance and agriculture and comptroller general of customs of both countries.

He said they have been able to reach an agreement with the Benin Republic president to allow Nigeria customs officials to be present at the Cotonou Port.


“ And you know that only a week ago Mr. President jointly commissioned the border building within Benin Republic. These are all attempts made to contain smuggling.


“When we say Nigeria imported it is different from x-amount of rice is being smuggled because when you import you open Letter of Credit and we are saying it is absolutely untrue.


“Again to say local rice production has gone down is absolutely untrue,” he stated.

The minister further explained that they have grown rice farmers from five million to 12 million saying “ those facts are out there. We have created prosperity for rice farmers. We have about 32 or 34 states that produce rice, you can ask them.



“So you see, this kind of information is not only misleading but it is capable of generating a lot of misunderstanding. So I say with all emphasis at my command that that story is part of the fake news we are fighting,” he said.

https://www.akelicious.net/2018/11/fg-denies-usad-report-on-3m-metric.html

oh my country

GETTING INTERESTING

This man is skilled in the art of lying.

Just read the article and see the deluge of contradictions contained in it.

First he says he contacted USDA and they claimed it was fake news, then he says the USDA should prove how they came about their numbers. Such contradictions.
Then again he says smuggled rice should not count as imported rice.
That’s what happens when lying becomes pathological.

there are many areas this government is failing but when it comes to agriculture in general and rice production in particular, I can factually say that the USDA report does not agree with realities on ground... I deal with agricultural produce and products and I can emphatically say that there is a massive turnaround in that sector... we have enough reasons to be angry with PMB but not in the area of rice production.

I wonder when they say we are now self-sufficient in rice production yet local rice is still very expensive.

Economists in the house, can you explain this to me?

Nigeria now produces so much rice, that rice farmers in India, Malaysia, China and Thailand have all gone bankrupt.



Believe this liar at your own peril

[s]

simplyhonest:
there are many areas this government is failing but when it comes to agriculture in general and rice production in particular, I can factually say that the USDA report does not agree with realities on ground... I deal with agricultural produce and products and I can emphatically say that there is a massive turnaround in that sector... we have enough reasons to be angry with PMB but not in the area of rice production.

[/s]


They claimed to have produced 15 million tonnes of rice last year. Do you know how many 50kg bags of rice is in 15 million tonnes?

As I have always said, propaganda can not put food on the table.

You seriously want to believe lai, but you ask yourself between USDA and LAI, who is most believable..

USDA stands to gain nothing, LAI is a propaganda machine.

Coming from a man that once said "buhari is working on a very big project, so big that people cant see it"

Tell us the much that is going on agric sector that is much better than what was happening before sir.

The revolution we had recent in agric was led by former minister under GEJ. It was both "earmarkable" and "eyemarkable".

That's he was greeted with int'l appointments, awards and accolades.

Mr Lair Mohammed claimed we have over 12m Nigerians as rice farmers today. Is it not a shameful thing to celebrate. Some countries that had attain self sufficency and even export thousands of tonnes of rice has less than 500k rice farmers.

Most of millions of nigerians who lost their jobs, unemployed, etc decided as last resort to plant rice at the backyard of their homes which most times are less than quarter plot of yards. Are these the people we celebrate as rice farmers?

Today, its an open secret that most smuggling of rice is going on massively unchallenged in most part of Northern border most especially GMB Katsina State.

Most of the local rice bags you see in the markets are smuggled rice that were rebagged. My counsin that deal in rice in Abuja will tell us that even some of the Nigeria rice bags we saw jn their warehouse, some have their adsress as Lagos, Akure, Abakiliki where all supplied from Katsina.

simplyhonest:
there are many areas this government is failing but when it comes to agriculture in general and rice production in particular, I can factually say that the USDA report does not agree with realities on ground... I deal with agricultural produce and products and I can emphatically say that there is a massive turnaround in that sector... we have enough reasons to be angry with PMB but not in the area of rice production.