FG takes action against importation, rolls out 200 rice mills

Acting President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh has intimated  the Federal Executive  Council headed by the Acting President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo that about 200 rice mills would soon be distributed  to owners against importation and self sufficiency.

At the state house executive meeting held this week, Chief Audu Ogbeh told the council members that spraying against pest would soon commence to protect the rice cultivation for the rainy reason saying the issues of avian influenza and queala attacker were receiving proactive action. 

He that  said “ Nigeria is faced with avian flu for chicken, that’s one of the things that the commissioners will discuss, we have the attack of queala birds, and some other insect that destroys farmland and we are going to start another round of spraying because rice farming has begun again, in the north west and part of the north east. The other challenge is rice smuggling, we are close to achieving self-sufficiency in rice production by the end of this year, especially because we are about to distribute 200 rice mills to those who made bids for them”

The Minister had last week lamented on the high cost of local rice to imported ones which was well reported by the media, while the Acting President had in another function told Nigerians to resist importation saying it was an act of creating job elsewhere at the expense added government support should be extended to help farmers and millers.