By Salis Muhammad Moriki
It is part of this government's policy to diversify our "too much import dependent" economy to be able to be food sufficient and save huge amount of our forex spent in importation for other development activities in the country.
And in its efforts to diversify Nigeria's economy, the federal government has encouraged more state governments and their people to invest more in agriculture, especially rice production.
The federal government has given out huge amount of money to states for distributions to farmers in that area, especially those states with farming history and otherwise.
Nigeria is one of the largest rice importing country in the world. It is said that in the last five years, Nigeria imported about 17 million tone, thereby spends about $1.8 billion annually on rice importation which is not favourable to Nigerian export/import index.
But according to the United Nations Foods and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), Nigeria imported 2.3 million tones in 2016, about half of what it requires. This shows how far Nigeria is moving to become food sufficient, sequel to the present Federal Government policy towards food security.
Recently, the minister of agriculture and rural development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said the federal government is targeting the production of seven million tones of rice by 2018 and that would be achieved by the first quarter of the year.
The country now feeds about 190 million citizens and 100 million others in West and North Africa, according to the minister.
I have to commend the efforts of the federal government and the state governors of the respective states for this wonderful, as well as patriotic achievement.
Through this giant stride, they have made many states in the federation that were not agriculturally recognised, now rice export hub. Below are some of the rice producing states and their brands in the federation:
1. Kebbi state - Labana rice
2. Ebonyi state - Ebonyi rice
3. Ogun state. - Ofada rice
4. Anambra state - Anambra rice
5. Benue state - Lobi rice
6. Nasarawa state - Olam rice
7. Niger state - Mama Happy rice
8. Kano state - UMZA rice
9. Lagos state - LAKE rice
10. Ekiti state - Igbemo rice
11. Gombe state - Mas rice
And many others like Edo, Osun state and very recently the governor of Cross Rivers state said they are unfolding their own brand of rice by Christmas.
However, despite this great achievement, I am totally devastated whenever I take a glance at the list of rice producing states in this country.
My state, Zamfara, where it has historical heritage of farming, with over 80% of its population engaging in agriculture and FARMING IS OUR PRIDE as its motto is not anywhere to be found in this list.
GOV. ABDULAZEEZ ABUBAKAR YARI WHERE DO WE GO WRONG, PLEASE?
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