Some Agriculturalists in Rivers State have said that if the federal government should stop rice smuggling by shutting land borders as stated, it will help boost the nations GDP.
Rivers state Fadama coordinator, Kingsley Amadi, who spoke to TPCN correspondent Tina Amanda, said shutting down the neighbouring borders will encourage local producers to go into production.
According to him, it will change the demand pattern of the public and increase exportation of local production.
“If that is done, it will encourage local farmers. What happens most times, when our Agric products are imported, it discourages those who are into production. Most Nigerians demand foreign products as against our locally produced products.
“We are looking at the downstream sector of agriculture. Downstream sector means processing and packaging. We need to process properly and package properly so that our products can be exported abroad.
“Nigerians have passed this stage of going to local market all the time to buy and sell. The market now has several types of locally made rice, like Abakaliki rice and so many others. In my family, we no longer eat foreign rice.”
On his part, the state Rice farmers Association chairman, Ndubusisi Eme, said it will encourage farmers to diversify, adding that the local rice farmers in the state are working hard to ensure there is a bountiful harvest this year.
“It’s a welcome development to stop the importation of rice. It will encourage so many farmers to diversify.
” In Rivers State, we have about four hundred and forty-five (445) hectares of land for rice planting and over one hundred and thirty (130) have been planted with rice. Rivers state farmers will meet up at least forty percent 40% of rice production this year 2018″
