The Federal Government is putting structures in place with a view to stopping rice importation by 2015, an official said on Monday.

Mr Amos Afowowe, Deputy Director, Agro-Processing and Marketing, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, said this in Kaduna when he paid a courty visit to Gov. Patrick Yakowa.

Afowowe said he was in the state to explore the possibility of the state hosting the Staple Crop Processing Zone.

''Nigeria has been spending much on agriculture and by 2015, Nigeria must stop the importation of rice.

He noted that said the country had the natural, human and material resources to achieve this goal.

According to him, stopping rice importation will improve the nation’s economy, provide job opportunities and boost local production.

In his response, Yakowa commended the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, for his efforts to transform the nation's agricultural sector.

Yakowa noted that one of the outcomes of the recent meeting with stakeholders in the agricultural sector in Washington, U.S., was the proposed establishment of the Ferguson Tractor Companies to be located in Kaduna and Port Harcourt.

The governor called for the utilisation of the country's vast land mass for agricultural purposes such that the much resources being used for rice importation, would be utilised for other vital sectors.

``Most pre- and post-independent development in Nigeria were made possible through agriculture.’’

Yakowa decried the absence of agro-processing and marketing outfits, say that the situation posed a challenge to Nigerian farmers.

He said the state government would improve the performance of the agriculture sector, to provide jobs for the teeming youths in the state.

Brand_new: Let`s all give props to GEJ for another good policy in the wrong direction. I guess by 2015, we should all be accustomed to eating cassava bread.

Seun: This is the kind of Economic idiocy that leads to food shortages and famine all over Africa. The effect of restricting importation of a staple food is that the cost of food will go up. This makes life more difficult for the poor. What kind of devil wants that to happen? Some people who would can currently afford just enough food to avoid starvation will have to die when the importation of rice is banned. For what?

Seun: This is the kind of Economic idiocy that leads to food shortages and famine all over Africa. The effect of restricting importation of a staple food is that the cost of food will go up. This makes life more difficult for the poor. What kind of devil wants that to happen? Some people who would can currently afford just enough food to avoid starvation will have to die when the importation of rice is banned. For what?

Billyonaire:

Rice Importation has to be stopped in generality. What nation is this, no body embraces their own food. The foreign food we eat has been doctored by the "superior race", cursing a lot fertility issues and reduction in life expectancy. This is top secret.

Now going back to our basics, what country imports food for the Citizen when they have vast agricultural landmass. If Rice overcost, Eba dey, Yam dey, cocoyam dey, our local food is far better than this parboil rice that has become our staple food. And our foreign exchange will be ploughed back into Agriculture. GEJ, FRESH AIR.

Billyonaire:

Rice Importation has to be stopped in generality. What nation is this, no body embraces their own food. The foreign food we eat has been doctored by the "superior race", cursing a lot fertility issues and reduction in life expectancy. This is top secret.

Now going back to our basics, what country imports food for the Citizen when they have vast agricultural landmass. If Rice overcost, Eba dey, Yam dey, cocoyam dey, our local food is far better than this parboil rice that has become our staple food. And our foreign exchange will be ploughed back into Agriculture. GEJ, FRESH AIR.

fasttrack:

Wat again do we need, this is a thumbs up for GEJ. But thats barely 3 yrs from now. He should focus on giving loans/grants to farmers who will partner with foreigners. Because I don't think Nigerians have the expertise to cope alone without foreign intervention. Also we need to ban a lot of stuff to give room for growth of our industries and economy.

Billyonaire: Ofcourse, its why there is 3yrs timeframe, and Fertilizer plant is already undergoing construction and the middlemen that used to hurd fertilizers has been eradicated, now fertilizers are sold in shops.

Billyonaire: Ofcourse, its why there is 3yrs timeframe, and Fertilizer plant is already undergoing construction and the middlemen that used to hurd fertilizers has been eradicated, now fertilizers are sold in shops.

Billyonaire: Rice Importation has to be stopped in generality.

What nation is this, no body embraces their own food. The foreign food we eat has been doctored by the "superior race", cursing a lot fertility issues and reduction in life expectancy. This is top secret.

Now going back to our basics, what country imports food for the Citizen when they have vast agricultural landmass.

Billyonaire:

Rice Importation has to be stopped in generality. What nation is this, no body embraces their own food. The foreign food we eat has been doctored by the "superior race", cursing a lot fertility issues and reduction in life expectancy. This is top secret.
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bakila:
Lair its twelve thousand for two bags of NPK. I SUPPORT every effort to boost not only production and consumption of staple like Rice but as far as spices that abound everywhere in Nigeria.
Fertilizer is still a foriegn innovation like rice. Let them stop stealing and encourage other sectors of production and we are good.

Billyonaire:
UP GEJ, FRESH AIR.

Billyonaire:

Rice Importation has to be stopped in generality. What nation is this, no body embraces their own food. The foreign food we eat has been doctored by the "superior race", cursing a lot fertility issues and reduction in life expectancy. This is top secret.

Now going back to our basics, what country imports food for the Citizen when they have vast agricultural landmass. If Rice overcost, Eba dey, Yam dey, cocoyam dey, our local food is far better than this parboil rice that has become our staple food. And our foreign exchange will be ploughed back into Agriculture. GEJ, FRESH AIR.

Ganys:
40 LAPTOPS WORKING HERE....

Seun:
Why? Don't you like cheap food? Would you like to live in a country where only the rich can afford to buy rice?


Really? And you posted it on a public forum? Ok, what stops them from hiring agents to "contaminate" our local foods?


The decision of whether to import or not import should be left to Nigerians. If you want to buy cheap imported rice, you should be free to do so. And if you prefer to eat yams every day, even when they are out of season and therefore expensive, you should be free to do so. But the government should not prevent me from buying cheap rice. The only beneficiaries of such policies are the handful of people involved in agriculture. I suspect that there are many factors responsible for our reliance on imported food. If those factors are resolved, the government won't need to ban anything. On the other hand, if they are not resolved, then an import ban would cause a lot of pain. If the government wants to help, let them find a way to do it without taking away our freedom to import cheap food.

Billyonaire: Seun we can discuss this all night night. I have proofs to the food contamination by the "Superior Race", you need to start listening to people like Louis Farrakhan. Their intention is based on a policy to reduce or weed out the "inferior races" so the innovative race can dominate for ever. Why in essence do you think America can risk all resources to protect Israelites.

Going back to local production of food. Seun, think deeply the implication of this: Should Nigeria become a Lybia or Syria, or even a North Korean and there is Trade Embargo or Economic Sanction against Nigeria, hunger go kill you within3 weeks since you depend 100% on importation of common thing like food. Anyway, I no go mind to see grown up man like you holding plastic plate stand for line fighting to collect food from RED CROSS if you insist on importation. Nigeria needs to go back to the "Operation Feed the Nation" days. Indonesia and Malaysia borrow palm kernel from this country now free oil money has killed agriculture, all man wan dey inside oil/gas and IT and some are becoming celebrities. Agriculture is crying and bushes are turning to forests.

Seun, let me remind you that if the several billions of dollars put into importation was used to buy locally grown food, by now, I sure say u for throw your laptop away and become a CoCoa farmer and I would have thrown my tankers away and become fertilizer manufacturer. We need to grow up. if not, we stand the fail as a nation tomorrow. If we cant grow our own food, we will face famine tomorrow. Mark my words.

chucky234: Your points are baseless in present day Nigeria