Nigeria now produces 8 million tons of rice every year - RIFAN

The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) has said Nigeria produces 8 million tons of rice annually, adding that the country is the largest producer of rice in Africa.

The disclosure was made by the president of the association, Aminu Goronyo, who said Nigeria has two farming season, Leadership reports.

Legit.ng gathers that Goronyo, who said Nigeria has no option than to put a total ban on rice importation before the end of 2019, stated that 4 million of rice is produced in each farming season.

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He said: “We have two cropping seasons of production and each season we produce an average of 4 million tons that will give you 8 million tons per annum."

Goronyo said there is a collaboration between the association and the federal government which is aimed at reducing the cost of production.

According to him, the collaboration will also bring down the price of milled rice in the market.

He said: “We have enough paddy in ground, the same thing with rice Millers, they have more than enough in stock, which means that we don’t need to import paddy of milled rice."

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Kano-based Amarava Rice Mill said it was targeting to record 500 tonnes of daily production by June, just as it hit 250 tonnes to boost local self-sufficiency.

Subhash Chand, the Indian deputy high commissioner in Nigeria, made this known in Abuja on Tuesday, January 1.

The multi-million naira state-of-the-art rice mill, owned by an Indian national, was inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari in Kano in December, 2018.

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Source: Legit.ng