Rice Sufficiency: Investors Express Optimism

The Nigerian Rice In
vestors Group has said that the rice import quota policy of the federal government would ensure self sufficiency in rice production in the country.
National President of the Nigerian Rice Investors Group, Mr Tunde Owoeye, in a joint press briefing in Abuja, recently, said the import quota allocation given to rice investors went to importers with verifiable local investments in rice production contrary to claims that it was wrongly allocated.
According to him, the import quota was being allocated to the right people, even as he said that the rice policy of the federal government is feasible and visible.
Owoeye said the group has seen members who were pure traders and make huge investment in local rice production, adding that there is serious increase in employment and value creation in the rice production.
He explained that the Federal Government has provided rice investors with improved seedlings for which reason rice production was getting better.  Throwing more light, he revealed that a trip through Zamfara, Niger, Benue, Sokoto and many other states in the country would enable one see vast plantations of rice in the last two years.
Also at the briefing, the Secretary of the Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN), and former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF). Mr Michael Aondoaka, (SAN) stated that the rice quota allocations were directed to wrong hands prior to the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Meanwhile, the National President, Rice Millers, Importers and Distributors’ Association of Nigeria (RMIDAN), Abubakar Mohammed, observed that there was only one processing mill in the whole of Nigeria in the last five years, adding that the number has increased to 24 by 2014.