Nigeria will start exporting rice in three years – FG

Nigeria will become a net exporter of rice in the next three years, the Federal Government has said.

According to the government, over N256bn has been invested in the product in the past three years.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, said this in Abuja on Monday during the second Nigeria Rice Investment Forum organised by the Business Group of the New Partnership for African Development.

He said part of the aims of the rice transformation agenda of the Federal Government which started in 2011 was to make Nigeria self-sufficient in rice production as well as export of the commodity.

The minister explained that 24 states across the federation were already growing rice during the dry season while the 36 states were producing the crop in the wet season.

He said seven million metric tonnes of rice paddy had been added to Nigeria’s production, adding that the country was 80 per cent self-sufficient in the production of paddy rice.

Paddy is the form of rice harvested from the farm before it is milled and made ready for consumption.

Adesina said the Federal Government was currently focusing on rice milling to ensure that the quantity of paddy rice produced in Nigeria was milled.

The minister said it was very important for Nigeria to close its milling gap, stressing that the country would have to build over 18 integrated rice mills to achieve this. ...Punch