Some bizmen slowing down rice revolution drive – AFAN President

• …allays rice scarcity fears during Chrismas

The National President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Arc. Kabiru Ibrahim, has warned that there are some business men colluding with the some government officials to sabotage  government’s efforts at achieving self-sufficiency in rice production.

In an interview with Daily Trust, the farmers’ leader said they had noticed setbacks in the euphoria for rice production and attainment of rice sufficiency in the country as the drive has brought along some people, who are not really on board with the real production.

“Some of them are business men, who are taking advantage of the windows that are there, while corrupt officials are colluding with several others to defraud the government,’’ the AFAN leader alleged.

Arc. Kabiru regretted that corruption had created serious problems in the country, adding that even though efforts were being made to fight the menace, it still remains.

He noted that the stoppage of formal and legal importation of rice is being applauded by most of stakeholders but said certain unscrupulous elements in the society were still bringing in rice through the borders.

“Like in Katsina, people convertPeugeot automotive by raising the car seats to insert up to 60 bags of rice across the border. Even now with the closed border due to the porous nature of some of the borders, these things are still there. Sometime ago, I took snapshots of what I saw and shared them with some people in the Customs. Apart from that, I believe with further sensitisation of the farmers and the processors, we would get to the Promised Land,’’ the AFAN leader said.

He said Nigeria would only attain self-sufficiency in rice with the right kind of efforts and control.

“We must be able to punish whosoever does wrong and the Customs have to be up and doing by protecting our borders to make sure that those still importing rice are penalised and if they are going to import legally, the tariffs they will pay should be made to discourage them,’’ he added.

The AFAN chairman, who traced the history of rice revolution in the country, said there were lots of efforts by the farmers and government to make Nigeria rice-sufficient, adding that the millers are also up and doing, even if they still complain that they do not get enough paddy.

The AFAN President, who allayed fear of scarcity of milled rice during the forthcoming festive period as being speculated in some quarters, assured that with the government’s support for rice farmers this year, there will be availability of paddy rice for millers during and after the period.

“The problem we have is that flooding and insecurity are affecting the production of paddy but now the government is helping those affected in these areas of flooding with seeds and with the input, they will go back to do dry season farming and this will mean farming in two cycles,’’ he assured.