Business
Association Advocates Price Subsidy For Local Rice
The Association of Small-Scale Agro Producers of Nigeria (ASSAPIN) has advocated price subsidy for locally produced rice.
Mr. Joshua Mabinuori, the National Vice-President of the association, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, on Tuesday.
Mabinuori said that subsidy for locally produced rice would discourage importation and increase local production and consumption.
He described as “colossal waste” the huge amount expended on rice importation annually, adding that time had come for government at all levels to invest in local rice production.
“One of the ways by which government can discourage rice importation and encourage local production and consumption is when the price of the locally produced rice competes favourably with the imported rice.”
“By this, farmers produce more and consumption will also be high because people will buy more.”
“Presently, a local farmer producing rice incurs more expenses producing 50 kg bag of rice because of higher cost of production than his counterparts in other countries.
“What government should do as a matter of urgency is to encourage local rice production through subsidy. This will assist farmers to remain in business and also reduce rice importation,” he said.
Mabinuori also urged the government to increase budgetary allocation to agriculture to enable the country to become self-reliant in food production.