The Managing
Director, Tara Agro Indusries, Engr. Reuben Malcom has said the milled rice of
25,000 metric tons produced annually by his company can be well competitive in
the global market adding there is high demand for locally produce rice.
Engr. Malcom
speaking at the venue of the Agricfest organized by the Federal Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development which attracted millions of Nigerians
agricultural stakeholders including the number one farmer of the nation,
President Good luck Ebele Jonathan said the demand for rice paddy in the country
has gone higher since 2011 stressed that farmers do not need to go through stress
of market gluts anymore as millers are readily available as off takers.
“We are the
producer of milled rice called Ebony rice, and we started production ending 2011/2012
of this present administration. Our production
depends on the paddy rice from the local farmers with regards to where it is
being brought and how they are dried. A batcher of rice can be produced within
12hours, which means we produce 25,000 tons per year and 8 tons per day.
Farmers do not need to go looking for water, firewood to parboil the paddy in
big drums, but now they can sell it to us instead of going through the stress. Our
product is on high sale because there is presently demand for our product and
also locally produced rice, people are eating it. Presently our market is in
the South-East, and we are gradually moving into Abuja and Lagos” said MD.
However food farm news gathered from the people
that the feasibility of these locally produced milled rice must be made available
in the market as demand for it is becoming higher meaning the challenges of
glut by farmers will gradually be a thing of the past if the present government‘s
ATA is not discontinued as both raining and dry season farming has created more
produce of paddy rice for millers.
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