President of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Dr. Kanayo  Nwaeze, has said Nigeria has the ability to produce 10 million tons  of rice yearly,  if the necessary equipment and infrastructure is put in place.


Kanayo, during a visit to the rice processing assemblers, said that Nigeria presently produces three million metric tons and consumes six million metric tons of rice annually, concluding that with the current ideal environment for producing rice in other parts of the country, fulfilling the 10 million metric tons target would be materialize soon, to make Nigeria a major exporter of rice.

In her words, the Country Programme Manager of IFAD, Ms. Atsuko Toda, has declared her resolution to help the country attain the desired goal.

During the visit, Kanayo was presented with the Vision of Value Chain Development of Anambra for Rice Processing Clusters by Mr Nnamdi  Agwuncha, the state programme coordinator.

Nnamdi stated that the Value Chain Programme was premised firmly on the Federal Government’s vision for boosting the agricultural sector, in order to attain food security, increase exports and decrease food importation, as well as increase production and enlarge the rural economy for employment and generating income.

He said that rural appraisal of the current Rice Value Chain status quo has been directed, adding that the problems of the rice processing clusters have been identified.