NIGERIA – Paddy rice farmers all over Nigeria have been urged to take advantage of the Lagos Rice Mill project in a bid to meet the country’s production capacity.
The Rice Mill which is the largest in Africa and the third largest in the world was inaugurated in January this year aimed at expanding domestic rice production as well as achieving self-sufficiency in the Country.
Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos State governor made the plea at the 2023 Lagos Farm Fair as part of activities commemorating the United Nations World Food Day, at the Police College, Ikeja.
Sanwo-Olu emphasized the need for collaborative efforts from all stakeholders in the agricultural sector to sustainably scale up production to achieve food security.
He also disclosed that a Central Food Logistics Hub would be completed in Lagos next year to reduce waste and loss, also noted: “Farming is an important component of our government’s activities.
“We need to grow what we eat and eat what we grow. While we have collaborated with some major agricultural states within the country, we are also looking for independent paddy rice farmers across the federation to raise paddy supply at Lagos Rice Mill.”
He intimated that the country seeks to grow enough paddy to meet consumption capacity adding that the national mill has enough market for paddy growers.
This is calling on paddy growers across the country to key into this opportunity.”
Bago laments poor state of Niger rice mills, pledges solution
Last week, Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago complained that despite Niger being rated as a leading producer of paddy rice in the country, the rice mills in the state were nothing to write home about.
Bago made this known in Minna, the Niger State capital at a dinner organized by the Niger State Government for the House of Representatives Press Corp at the 2-day workshop on the “Role of Media in Mainstreaming Climate Change Policies”.
The Governor declared that the era where people took rice paddy out of the state for almost free was over, adding that the state government will soon sign a memorandum of understanding with a rice mill factory in Kano State for the direct purchase of Paddy Rice produced.
“I went for Peer review yesterday in Kano, the largest producer of paddy rice in Nigeria because Niger state is the largest producer of paddy rice in Nigeria but our rice mills are nothing to write home about.”
He said that the state plans to empower local farmers with improved seedlings and inputs so that they can produce more tonnage and also make more money.
He revealed that an MOU between Niger State Development Company and Gerawa rice mill for offtake of all rice paddy is underway aimed at ensuring “our farmers don’t lose”.
