FG To Ban Importation Of Rice, Other Food Items

The Senior Technical Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development; Dr Niyi Odunlami has said that the federal government was desirous of stopping the importation of rice, fish, wheat and tomatoes.

Speaking as a member of the supervision team visiting staple crops processing zones of the World Bank-assisted Commercial Agriculture Development (CADP) project in Lagos, Odunlami said that the Federal Government was working in partnership with state and local governments as well as Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) to bring infrastructural development to rural farming areas.

“The Federal Government cannot do it alone; it needs the collaboration of states and local governments as well as LCDAs.

“The rural farming areas need to be developed in terms of infrastructure, so as to reduce or possibly eradicate the importation of what can be produced here, such as wheat, vegetable, rice and fish.

“The fish we import is not different from what we can find in the Nigerian waters,” Odunlami said, adding that there is absolute need to develop staple crop processing zones.

Some primary processing zones in the country had been selected as models. They include Kogi, Kano, Niger, Lagos and Rivers states. The supervisory mission commenced work on Nov. 28, with a visit to the Lagos State Integrated Rice Processing Factory, Imota.

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