The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) has applauded the Federal Government’s decision to shut down its border with any neighbouring country that allows large scale smuggling of rice into Nigeria.
President Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Alhaji Aminu Goronyo, said closing the border would encourage the patronage of local rice across the country.
He said in Abuja on Tuesday that; “If adequate measure is not taken to stop the activities of the smugglers, it would have adverse effects on the bumper harvests expected from the rice revolution and create rice glut.”
Goronyo said the move has become imperative because the ongoing Rice Revolution undertaken by many state governments and Strategic Interventions by the Federal Government Agencies must not be jeopardised.
According to him, “It is a step in the right direction to ensure self-sufficiency, for the country to make progress, crash the market prices of locally produced rice and for the huge investment on rice production to be meaningful.”
He said though the importation of rice through the land borders was banned since April 2016 with an extension to the restriction of rice into the Nigerian market from the Export Processing Zones (EPZ), yet smugglers still engaged in the unwholesome act.
Goronyo recalled that RIFAN and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to fight rice smuggling through land border into the country.
The RIFAN boss said the joint efforts has reduced activities of the smugglers because the smuggled rice coming into Nigeria is just five per cent of what we consume, and the rice is coming through the informal sector.
“Any smuggler bringing rice into the Nigerian market will have to think twice because it is no longer a profitable venture the landing cost of a 50kg bag of imported rice is now N20, 000.
“So calculate how much will it be sold for the venture to be a profitable one, it’s not worth the smuggling,’’ he said.
He said to achieve the laudable feat the Comptroller-General ordered the deployment of capable officers and men to borders to enforce the order.
Goronyo added that the customs had also re-organised its anti-smuggling patrols to provide additional capability, to enforce the ban of rice import through the land borders.
The RIFAN President commended the customs officials for taking the giant stride to reinstate the confidence of the RIFAN and assuring the farmers of adequate markets for their products.
Goronyo said that the annual rice production in Nigeria has increased from 5.5 million tonnes in 2015 to 5.8 million tonnes in 2017.
He said that in 2015, Nigerians spent not less than N1 billion daily on rice consumption, adding that while spending had drastically reduced, consumption had increased because of increased local production of the commodity.
Goronyo said available data showed that the consumption rate now is 2 million tonnes, while the production rate is 5.9 tonnes per annum.
He commended the efforts of President Buhari for investing adequately in rice production adding that his policies had enhanced the progress made so far in the country.
Goronyo assured Nigerians that with the sustained implementation of the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme RIFAN is working towards achieving self-sufficiency in rice production by 2020
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh had announced that government would soon shut down borders with a neighbouring country because of the activities of rice smugglers
He explained that large quantity of rice are being smuggled into Nigeria through the unnamed country despite efforts to prevail on the country to curb the menace. – NAN
