Cross River invests more in rice production

Governor Ben Ayade

*creats employment for 22,000 youths

Amidst great expectations of the people of Cross River, Governor Ben Ayade has launched Cross River State into the current rice revolution as to further reposition the future of the state  and the nation's economy through the diversification from oil and tourism to other sources of revenue generation; especially agriculture and solid minerals. 

In order to make the state self-sufficient in rice production the government of Cross River has bought into the call for diversifying its economy has the state had invested heavily in rice production to create employment for the teeming youths and to revolutionize the state, while making it food sufficient for the populace; and enough for use as raw materials for industrial purposes.

The governor who flagged off the rice revolution in the state which is a major agricultural hub of the country demonstrated what he described as leadership by example when he inaugurated his rice farm in Obudu and inspected 20,000 hectares of rice farm in Ugboro in Bekwarra Local Government Area in demonstration of a practical approach of launching the state into the league of major rice producers in Nigeria and beyond. The inauguration of the Ogoja Rice Mill, recorded the officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) led by the Governor of CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele in attendance. 

Professor Ayade who also said that the launch of the Ogoja Rice Mill is to support the dream of Mr. President who believes that this country should be self-sufficient in rice production, and he has not only shown reasonable commitment but has followed up with action plans to achieve this vision. He promised that his administration would not fail in its determination to become a major rice producer, while assuring Mr. President that, with the support of CBN, Cross River State and indeed Nigeria will be self-sufficient in rice sooner than we expected.

He added that his administration has acquired over 18,000 square kilometers of  land which it intends to donate to anyone willing to cultivate rice in the state. The governor who also disclosed that  he had taken a cue from the governor of Kebbi State, which has made him key into the presidential initiative by owning his own rice farm and to also ensure that the project is a success the governor has directed that his 29 commissioners must own at least 20 hectares of rice farm each, while over 1,700 political appointees are expected to own and cultivate at least 10 hectares each, to further boost rice production in this state and the country at large, “while believing that by next year, given the number of things we have put on ground, Cross River will have more than enough to feed and export”, Ayade said.

The people of Ogoja are traditionally the number one rice growing people in the South-South zone of Nigeria, but all the rice cultivated in Ogoja ends up in other states, while also working to put an end to the practice of taking rice from Cross River to somewhere else and adding to the rice cultivation statistics of other states will no longer be welcome, the governor stated that "Ogoja Rice" would now be packaged to reflect the identity and unity of the people. 

He further stressed that there is a clear distinction between the proposed Ogoja Rice Mill and the Calabar Rice City, saying the latter was designed as a research centre for the production of a new hybrid of rice that will have high yield, high disease resistance and targeted at the production of seeds and seedlings. He continued saying that “the only way we can control the economy completely in a rice value chain is not just to grow rice but to sell seeds, so we need to have a research centre close to the airport because we are hoping to sell seeds to the whole of Africa. But when you produce your seeds, you need to send them to where the heartbeat of rice construction is, which is Ogoja”.

Food-Farm News spoke with the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Cross River State, Dr. Essien Adiu, who said that “in keeping with the administration's policy and the present day’s government under the administration of President Buhari to look inward, having spent more than N200billion on rice importation, will now use one third of that amount in giving farmers the needed support, while creating value chain for the state's rice production, the governor has flagged off the construction work on a multi-million naira rice mill in Ogoja, and to lead by example the governor is personally cultivating his own rice farm that will contribute immensely to our effort of becoming self-sufficient, while declaring that the people of Cross River state are in support and key into the Rice Anchor Borrowers Programme which is believed to meet up with the federal government plan to reduce poverty, create wealth and employment for more than 22,000 youths, graduates and non-graduates who are to benefit from the project among the citizenry, and to further make the state a major exporter of rice and ultimately be self-sufficient in rice production before the end of the year”.

Dr. Essien added that the ground-breaking construction of a rice mill in Ogoja, which he said would be "the first of its kind in Africa, capable of producing wholly vitaminised rice that will incorporate growth hormones for children between the ages of seven and 15, and also enhance their intellectual capacity” and  noting that “the vitamins enhanced plant, specific vitamins and nutrients are going to be incorporated in order for the vitaminisation process of the mill to be bigger business than actually selling the rice."

He stressed that if Nigeria can be focused on rice production, “we shall indeed, get out of the woods and our continued dependence on foreign rice will be a thing of the past”.