The Federal Government has debunked speculations of a decline in the country’s local rice production, describing such speculations as a conspiracy to thwart Nigeria’s push towards self sufficiency in rice.
Information Minister, Lai Mohammed made this assertion at a Special Town Meeting on Agriculture in Dutse, Jigawa State.
The Agricultural Revolution is one of the Federal Government’s consistent Strategies introduced to reduce the dependency on oil and diversify the economy.
As part of this revolution process, Nigeria continues to move closer to attaining self sufficiency in rice production, with the country’s rice import drastically declining by over 90% in the last 3 years.
The Federal Government’s inclination to continue this trend has made it difficult for foreign rice exporters to make huge profits from rice export into the country.
As the government continues to support local farmers through various schemes such as the Anchor borrowers programme, it hopes to achieve full self sufficiency in rice paddy production by the year 2020.
Jigawa state which is also a beneficiary of the Anchor borrowers programme, notes its various achievements through agriculture especially in the area of investment.
As Nigeria’s Agricultural revolution gradually brings with it an assurance that the country can feed itself, it is evident that the Government’s intervention is responsive to the call for diversification.
