The closure of Nigeria’s land borders has caused an increase in domestic production of rice and the country is set to export the commodity, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, announced on Tuesday.
Nanono said the closure of the land borders had resulted in increased output by many rice milling plants which were operating below capacities before the borders were shut.
The minister, who disclosed this after visiting the Nestle Nigeria Public Limited Company, explained that going by recent successes recorded in rice production across the country, Nigeria’s brand of rice would be set for export in two years.
He said, “Before the closure of our land borders, most of the rice milling plants were partially operating. But now, they not only operate in full capacity but are also expanding.
“If we maintain the momentum, in the next two years, we may export rice to other countries.”
Nanono further revealed that rice producers were warehousing the commodity in order to meet further demands.
“I was worried in terms of the production of rice, but what I have found is that most rice producers have stocked rice for the next six months,” he said.
The minister added, “This means that before the stock is finished, dry season rice will be harvested, and before that finishes, the rainy season will come back.”
According to the minister, rice farmers in Nigeria do not plant the crop between November and January, adding that “we cultivate rice in a nine-month cycle; probably as we move on, the cycle will widen. So we do not have a problem with rice processing.”
Nanono said there had been an expansion of local rice value chain as well as the creation of more jobs due to the increase in the production of the staple.
He said Nigeria currently had 11 rice milling plants with the capacity to produce from 180 to 350 tonnes per day.
“In a few months, another mill with a capacity to produce 400 tonnes of rice per day is going to be opened. There are other upcoming 34 smaller mills and we have clustered in different areas,” the minister stated.
He said local rice farmers were fully engaged
