FG plans review of rice import policy

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sonny Echono, has said that the Federal Government intends to review the import policy on rice in the next three years.

Besides rice, other items that would be affected by the review are fish and wheat among others.

Echono, who stated this on Sunday in Abuja during a meeting with the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Uju Hassan-Baba, noted that the current policy was unfavourable .

“The ministry would in the next three years seek the review of the current unfavourable policy by the Federal Government which allows the importation of staple food items such as rice, wheat and fish into the country,” Echono, said in a statement from the Ministry.

Read also: APC Govt to shut Doors Against Foreign Rice, Tomatoes

He said the Ministry and the NIPC would partner in the promotion of strategic investments in the agricultural sector, adding that there was need to link Nigerian farmers to the market because it was one of the critical factors that would determine productivity and incomes of farmers as well as promote exports through value addition.

He added that the main target of the ministry was to guarantee food security for the country and be able to also export food items to other countries in the West African sub-region.

Echono noted that Nigeria had comparative advantage in the development of agricultural sector because of its vast arable land, huge population and markets.

The NIPC boss on her side stated that there had been an increase in the demand of market information on agricultural activities in the country by foreign investors and therefore suggested that a desk officer from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should be posted to the NIPC’s one-stop shop.

She also said that the commission would soon organise a stakeholders’ forum in Abuja on promoting investment in the agricultural sector.

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